As Thrive Causemetics chief executive Karissa Bodnar was navigating the challenges of running a high-growth brand in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, she turned to an unusual member of her c suite—chief wellness officer Erin Brower—for guidance.
The pandemic has given rise to a host of questions, from what new positions and capabilities are needed in the new normal to how to mitigate the financial fallout from the crisis. “Everyone is taking a proactive approach to reorganization,” says Shella Abe, co-head of CEO Board Practice at TrueSearch. “Budgets are shifting to continue to strengthen ecommerce and online. These omni brands—before, everyone was trying to innovate, but now they’re forced to. Everyone is ramping up their digital commerce and capabilities.”
Ringus anticipates that an influx of talent will come from both inside and outside of the industry, particularly in the new work-from-home era, in which proximity to the home office is not as important as it once was. “There will be a race for talent,” she says. “The talent pool is completely open. This is a time when people are evaluating their lives and what’s really important to them and where they want to be.
“Culture counts in a WFH world,” agrees Abe. “If your culture isn’t intact, you’re losing trust. You’re losing motivated employees. The employee engagement piece you’re seeing a lot—happy hour meditation, yoga, cooking clubs, book clubs. That definitely continues.”