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Online traffic jams, overloaded IT systems, back-to-back calls, and perhaps juggling deadlines and homeschooling. The last few months have offered insight into how we work and the choices we make. It has also made us wonder: How resilient are we? One of Xebia's Business Units, Software Development, shares its findings.
Remote working
What seemed like a challenge at the beginning of the crisis has proven to be a new way of working with surprising benefits. Xebia, and its clients, have found that sitting at the same table is not a prerequisite for fruitful collaboration. Moreover, as remote is becoming the new normal, and the world is becoming increasingly flat, more international companies are finding their way to Xebia. Joost van der Vis, Xebia Software Development, adds: "We were familiar with remote working and had all the tools and skills in place to do so. Clients that would otherwise have their doubts, now discovered that working together online from different locations doesn't negatively impact the results. If anything, it boosts efficiency and productivity."
A new digital divide
Looking at the impact COVID-19 has on businesses worldwide, Xebia sees a clear divide between technology-driven companies and those still treading the waters. The first was invited to step up, while the latter was compelled to dive into a digital transformation with no time to waste. "Businesses needed to keep their heads above water, and we helped them accelerate and innovate. Doing so, we noticed their exceptional drive to ensure customers could continue to depend on their services, without too much hassle," Joseph Gouriye, Xebia Software Development, adds.
Healthcare and retail
Regarding industries, healthcare and retail were severely struck by the pandemic and required the most attention. However, they also displayed a lot of eagerness to future-proof their services by adapting to customers' needs and these dynamic circumstances.
"Before COVID-19, one of our retail clients relied on physical stores for 90% of its sales. When all shops were forced to close, the company's website experienced a surge in traffic. Consequently, the webshop was down for a few days, resulting in missed sales, dissatisfied customers, and delayed delivery. If there is one thing retailers have learned from the pandemic, it is that investing in your online business prepares you for the unexpected." – Joseph Gouriye.
Never waste a good crisis
Challenging times triggers innovation, but only when we have passed the initial panic. Today, many business owners are shifting from being cautious to embrace change and innovation. They recognize that now is the time to set up online platforms and explore new business models. To survive and thrive, you need to follow in the footsteps of technology-driven companies, which are scalable, flexible, and agile.
A new way of working
On a day to day basis, work has changed due to COVID-19 and raised new questions, like: Can we still live up to expectations if we work remotely? And, how do we recruit and retain the best talent in these unpredictable times?
Xebia has noticed that an increasing number of companies are asking for its expertise to accelerate their innovation strategy. As a result, we are now focusing on attracting and retaining talent to cater to this recurred growth and international expansion.
Making sure the best talent stay on board is especially important in times of change. Xebia believes that offering a customized employee journey is one way to do so. "Every employee experience is different; we work in different teams, with different clients at different locations. Finding common ground isn't always easy, but knowing we share the same values and have the same goal in mind unites us," Joost explains. "We continuously ask what our people need. Some like to come to the office, and others prefer to work from home. We have to be flexible to that, give them this freedom, and at the same time, create the 'we' feeling.”
Xebia is convinced that the only way to make an impact, even now, is by working with the right people and offer them a journey instead of a job. By doing so the company, renowned for its excellent knowledge, skills, and authority position in the market, ensure quality.
"Talent attracts talent." - Joost van der Vis
Striving to become and remain an authority is one of Xebia's core values. With fewer real-life events to display this, consultants are looking for alternative knowledge-sharing opportunities. They are supported by Xebia, who aims to continually improve the position of consultants in its online communities.
Partnerships
COVID-19 has had an impact on the employment market, and attracting talent has become more challenging. Changing jobs during a crisis is not very common. "We are responding to this by focusing on building partnerships. If businesses are struggling to recruit the experts they need to move forward, we will fill that void. It's important to think along with our clients in times like these and develop our offerings accordingly. After all, the trust you give is the trust you get," Joost concludes.
Future
The future is bright! We are looking forward to collaborate with more companies to realize the necessary changes and make a true sustainable impact. We are eager to continue to create a unique employee journey that helps us attract and retain the best talents in the market, and curious to discover what other benefits remote working has in store for us and our clients.
About Xebia's Business Unit > Software Development
Due to COVID-19, the way we deliver has changed, but what we deliver has remained the same. We share knowledge. We use our extensive experience with cutting-edge technology to build web and mobile apps for clients and secure the integration with the backend. Many of our clients are large companies with a pioneering vision who need our expertise.
Companies contact our group of over 40 consultants looking for the best skills and experience that go far beyond maintaining a system. For instance, when they want to roll out a new business idea, but the current supplier cannot meet their needs and quality, or their in-house knowledge is not sufficient. Finding the best and skilled people these days is a challenge many companies are facing. These companies need a partner and not just a supplier and that’s exactly what Xebia offers.
Xebia is a pioneering IT consultancy company, delivering high-quality services that cover all aspects of digital transformation. From Software Development, to Data & AI, Cloud, DevOps, Business Agility, Security, Training & Learning, Product Management and Quality Improvement. We take care of your digital transformation from start to finish, from strategy to execution. Creating digital leaders across the globe.