A Conversation With: Mike Morini, CEO of WorkForce Software

The coronavirus continues to have dire effects on businesses across the country, and the franchise industry is no exception. Franchisors across segments are strategizing new ways to support their franchisees, keep customers satisfied, help local communities and come out stronger on the other side of this crisis.

To that end, 1851 Franchise publisher Nick Powills and Charles Internicola, founder and partner of the Internicola Law* Firm, are covering the coronavirus and its impact on businesses through our A Conversation With webinar series.

In today’s afternoon webinar, Powills and Internicola spoke with WorkForce Software CEO and MVP board member Mike Morini about how his brand is navigating the crisis. 

Here are some of the key insights from their discussion.

A New Workplace

Certain companies are better prepared than others for the transition to remote working. As a technology company that helps businesses with their unique time and attendance, scheduling, and compliance needs, WorkForce Software was uniquely positioned for the transition to virtual workplaces. 

As states slowly begin to reopen, the old way of managing a workforce is changing. Many brands are doing everything they can to measure the temperature of staff and adapt all practices to be contactless.

If we don’t have regulated COVID-19 testing, there will likely be a new understanding of privacy as brands look for ways to ensure that all employees are healthy. Both employees and employers will need to recognize that certain information that used to be considered confidential may be essential to create a safe workplace. On the other hand, business owners need to respect the boundaries and questions that employees may have. 

To create a safer workplace, leaders should follow the guidelines created by the World Health Organization and the CDC in order to educate staff on best practices. Also, leaders may need to prepare for some pushback from employees as we all transition to the new normal.

New Teams

This unprecedented unemployment spike will likely result in an increased talent pool. In addition, this crisis could create a learning experience for the younger generation of workers who were raised on instant gratification and an abundance of jobs, especially in the technology world. 

Moving forward, there will have to be a balance between the bottom line and the productivity of the team. Talent rises to the top. The people who understand hard work and aren’t scared to put the time in will be positioned for success. 

Studies show that this crisis may have accelerated our transition into the digital world by five years. The new work-from-home paradigm will force many companies to find better ways to engage with remote employees. Overall, leaders are going to be more focused on connections, which will likely result in stronger teams overall. 

New Best Practices

With the right technology, businesses are realizing that they may not need those expensive office spaces — the taboo of the remote workforce is quickly falling away. If it is the right talent and the right mindset, these technologies are making it easier for businesses to succeed. 

Right now, it is all about engaging with employees to show how you supported teams during the pandemic and how you are prepared to emerge stronger than before. Employers will need to work aggressively to keep up with what is happening with their workforce. 

This crisis may have created physical isolation, but it doesn’t necessarily need to create social isolation. For example, WorkForce Software has started various initiatives to keep customers and teams engaged digitally, such as reading children’s stories for employee’s kids over Zoom. 

Now, more than ever, we need to come together and support our heroes. For example, Morini is also involved with MVP, an organization that reestablishes comradery for military veterans by partnering them with NFL players to support issues and fitness. The organization has recently pivoted to using Zoom, with great results.