What can Companies Strategically take forward as Learnings from the Covid Pandemic

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 09:47:27 +1100

In brief: Companies can strategically take forward seven learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic: flexible work models, digital transformation, employee wellbeing programs including mental health support, supply chain resilience through supplier diversification, a culture of adaptability and continuous learning, clear communication with employees and stakeholders, and ongoing skill development. Applied together, these approaches build resilience and help organisations become more adaptable and employee-centred in the post-pandemic era.

Companies can strategically leverage learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance their operations, foster resilience, and create a more adaptable and employee-centric environment. Here are key strategic considerations:

Embrace Flexible Work Models

Strategy: Where possible adopt and integrate flexible work models to accommodate diverse employee needs and enhance workforce agility.

Update (November 2026): The first of these learnings has stuck. Working from home went from less than 8% of Australians before the pandemic to 40% at its 2021 peak (Productivity Commission, 2021) and has settled at 36% of employed people, including 59% of managers and professionals (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2025). The Productivity Commission’s 2025 review concluded that ‘hybrid work tends to be beneficial to productivity, or at least, is not detrimental to productivity’, while noting that fully remote work can have a negative effect (Productivity Commission, 2025; Wood, 2025). Only 22% of Australian CEOs now expect a full-time return to the office (Tilo, 2025).

Invest in Digital Transformation

Strategy: Accelerate digital transformation initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, customer engagement, and overall business resilience.

Prioritise Employee Well-being

Strategy: Implement robust wellbeing programs, including mental health support and work life balance initiatives, to enhance employee satisfaction and productivity.

Update (November 2026): Wellbeing remains unfinished business. Gallup’s 2026 report found 50% of Australian employees had experienced stress a lot of the previous day and only 21% were engaged at work (Gallup, 2026a). The right to disconnect, in force for all employers since 26 August 2025, now gives employees a legal basis to refuse unreasonable after-hours contact (Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, 2024).

Strengthen Supply Chain Resilience

Strategy: Enhance supply chain resilience by diversifying suppliers, investing in technology, and adopting agile strategies to mitigate future disruptions.

Foster a Culture of Adaptability

Strategy: Cultivate a culture that values adaptability, continuous learning, and innovation to navigate uncertainties and thrive in dynamic business environments.

Enhance Communication Strategies

Strategy: Develop clear and transparent communication strategies to keep employees, customers, and stakeholders informed, fostering trust and resilience.

Invest in Employee Skill Development

Strategy: Prioritise ongoing employee skill development to address evolving business needs and ensure that the workforce remains adaptable to changing industry landscapes.

Putting the learnings to work

Strategically incorporating these learnings can position companies for sustained success in the years since the pandemic by creating more resilient, agile, and employee-friendly organisations.

Linq HR provides fractional employee relations support to Australian employers and operates Workforce Directory, Australia’s HR services marketplace. Ph 1300 234 566.

Further reading:Adapting to remote working during a pandemic and Workforce management belongs on the strategic agenda.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2025) Working arrangements, Australia, August 2025. 12 December. Canberra: ABS. Available at: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/earnings-and-working-conditions/working-arrangements/aug-2025 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (2024) Right to disconnect. Fact sheet, November. Canberra: DEWR. Available at: https://www.dewr.gov.au/es/download/16162/right-disconnect/38654/right-disconnect/pdf (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Gallup (2026a) State of the Global Workplace: 2026 report – Australia. Washington, DC: Gallup. Available at: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/704474/state-global-workplace-australia-country-level-data.aspx (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Productivity Commission (2021) Working from home. Commission research paper, 16 September. Canberra: Productivity Commission. Available at: https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/working-from-home (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Productivity Commission (2025) Productivity before and after COVID-19. Commission research paper, 28 May. Canberra: Productivity Commission. Available at: https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/productivity-before-after-covid (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Tilo, D. (2025) ‘Australian CEOs reverse expectations on working from home’, HC Magazine, 8 October. Available at: https://www.hcamag.com/au/news/general/australian-ceos-reverse-expectations-on-working-from-home/552269 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Wood, D. (2025) Don’t stray from the sensible centre on working from home. 30 October. Canberra: Productivity Commission. Available at: https://www.pc.gov.au/media-speeches/articles/sensible-centre-working-from-home (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

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