PaperChain Chats: Claudia St. John, Affinity HR Group
PaperChain Chats | NPTA | May 12, 2021
The United States is slowly but surely emerging from pandemic-era lockdowns, but it’s going to be more of a new normal than a return to the old normal, according to Affinity HR President Claudia St. John. Affinity HR, a human resources consulting firm, has been partnered with NPTA for five years.
St. John sat down with NPTA’s Lauren Liacouras in the latest PaperChain Chat. She believes outside sales will undergo a post-pandemic transformation to keep up with changing business trends. While the typical outside sales role is built on relationships, networking and connecting, the COVID-19 pandemic caused such a severe disruption to the workplace that it accelerated the transformation of the position.
“Forrester Research Group did a survey that basically said business-to-business purchasers want to have some autonomy in how they make decisions, place orders and manage their orders,” St. John says. That desire, coupled with the fact that purchasers may not be as comfortable welcoming salespeople into their offices in the immediate wake of the pandemic, means outside sales will soon look very different. St. John says that might be a difficult adjustment for some, but it will also create opportunities for more people to fit into the sales mold.
St. John also identified three workplace trends to watch for as the country emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. One major consideration for employers is the popularity of remote work. St. John cites studies suggesting up to 70% of companies will have at least some virtual work component moving forward, as opposed to 10% before the pandemic. Meanwhile, the tight labor market will create challenges and opportunities alike for companies. And employee compensation is likely to become a hot-button topic as the minimum wage is debated at the federal and state levels.
Watch the full PaperChain Chat to hear more of St. John’s insights about what business will look like after the COVID-19 pandemic.