Adapting to Change: Key Learnings from 'The Wave of Change' Virtual Discussion on COVID's Impact
On May 19th 2021, we gathered around our virtual sofa to discuss The Wave of Change – The Impact on Covid and Changing Priorities with guests Stuart Henderson (Unite Students), Simon Griffiths (GSA) and Tom Sutcliffe (Scape).
You can catch the full recording of this session and all our sessions on our website.
In this blog, we have summarised the key points about what can be taken forward from the session along with our views as The Property Marketing Strategists.
The highest welfare and support has always been a priority for students but extra thought has now been prioritised for frontline operations staff. The realisation that a whole team could be off sick or be quarantining at the same time has brought about contingency plans such as reception video screens so staff can work remotely and operating with skeleton staff when need be. However, the question about correct and thorough cleaning is a no-brainer as operations teams cannot risk the alternative of Covid breakouts amongst staff and students.
Whilst the disparity between HQ and onsite operations staff has always been there (working hours/days/bank holidays etc), it raised even more questions over the past year. However, technology has helped to bridge the divide not just between regions but also cities and even globally.
Whilst everyone has been learning together, the operations teams who could seek advice and compare stories from other operational units found great comfort in that.
The teamwork required to get through the last year has also seen a breakdown between hierarchy. This means that operations teams are being invited to contribute to action plans and their input is being greatly valued.
And even awards nights and team-building events done remotely have managed to bring companies together like never before.
Despite all this positivity, it cannot be denied that the appreciation of what face-to-face contact can bring (when safe to do so) has never been higher.
In the beginning of the pandemic, it has been recognised that marketing and communications together with operations had to create a rapid response solution to stem the influx of customers desperate for updates on social media. The key solution to this was getting ahead of communications and updating customer before they asked. However, with changing government guidelines and a more stringent approval process, this wasn’t always possible. Gone were the days of the ‘fun’ marketing department who got all the good gigs, suddenly they were in the frontline of trolling, abuse and 24/7 shift patterns. It is safe to say that marketers came into their own as social media heroes. If the operations team were Batman, marketing was Robin. Moving forward, customers have remained wedded to their phones for updates and communications have never been more vital.
We talk about the future of flexible contracts and accommodation but haven’t we already seen this in action over the past year? Customers have never had more choice, they have been able to choose their tenancy start date and when to leave. Might this expand into where to live and for how long? If universities follow through with their promises of flexible and hybrid learning, accommodation will need to follow suit. Perhaps three months near home, three months near campus and three months abroad could become a reality. Whilst some markets demand year-long contracts and sell out on this basis, others could benefit from a more flexible approach but policy red-tape and better systems aren’t yet on the same page.
It was often overlooked in the press that students were still living in accommodation and operations were carrying on as near to normal as possible. This included giving customers a sense of community which very quickly evolved into lots of online events. Whilst this pivot was somewhat surprisingly positive for some, others had to be more and more inventive with interactive ideas to occupy and integrate whilst not adding to ‘screen fatigue’. Providing physical activities for students to do with their own bubble was a great alternative. Both the physical and remote events have continued in a hybrid fashion for now and this may continue in recognition for the customers who have different preferences about what community means for them.
The other thing that was overlooked is that PBSA is not the same as student accommodation. We shouted at the news and read articles in disbelief along with all of you when PBSA was overlooked – again. Whilst the understanding isn’t yet in the public domain, some associations and groups are trying to provide that consistency in learning and support to operators whilst also being part of policy and government conversations. It is worth acknowledging that even within the UK this is at different levels, but across different emerging sectors this is non-existent for now. Whilst it cannot be said yet that there has been a significant move forward for PBSA PR, it seems like it is at least on the agenda.
The last year has been one of unspeakable pain and distress for many, so it is hard to use the word ‘positive’ in the same sentence as Covid. However, what has been evident is that rapid change has accelerated so much that it is impossible not to have learned something. Change is possible faster than we ever realised which can only be a good thing for the sector.
This is just a highlight of our discussion, but you can watch the whole session here. And if you haven’t yet booked for our next session on Data, Data, Data – How to Use it to Influence Marketing Decisions – then please do here.
If you need support with any of these changes and challenges, The Property Marketing Strategists can help. Contact us to find out more.
