Randstad US Launches Technology Tools to Safely Return Employees to the Workplace
April 13, 2021 – With more than two-thirds of American workers reporting that they “do not feel completely safe” in their workplace—25 percent say they will look for a new job if their employer fails to implement new long-term protocols—employers are under increasing pressure to ensure the return to the workplace is managed safely.
“Workers are keenly attuned to the steps employers are taking to make their workspaces safer and healthier, especially when it comes to air quality and adherence to safety guidelines, which wasn’t previously a concern for some people,” said Vimal Kapur, president and CEO of Honeywell Building Technologies. To help American employers start planning the safe return of employees and the general public back into public spaces, Randstad US is rolling out a suite of technology tools that can be used by companies to protect public health and help businesses adhere to changing safety guidelines. “Safely returning to the office remains challenging, particularly with new public health protocols that can carry a health risk for the employees tasked with enforcement,” said Pascal de Hesselle, principal at Randstad Technologies Group. “Randstad will work with employers to automate and implement key aspects of return-to-workplace safety to minimize risk for the employer and employees alike.”
Randstad’s “back to office” solutions include technology services to help employers implement health screening protocols and contactless entry to workplaces or public spaces and ensure the widespread use of masks inside the workplace.
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The latest Center for Disease Control guidelines note that businesses can play a “key role in preventing the spread” of COVID-19, and recommend the implementation of health and temperature screenings, regular cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces in a facility, and the enforcement of federal and state mask mandates. Randstad Technologies Group, the technology arm of Randstad US, works with companies to identify their specific needs based on the nature of the space, volume of traffic and other criteria and will provide companies with a customized technology solution that will work for people, technology systems and company procedures.
Randstad’s new offerings include end-to-end elevated temperature screening that enables real-time screening across multiple employee/visitor entry and exit points, assembly points, and other high-volume areas; innovative mask-detection technology that ensures compliance with mask-wearing protocols and provides real-time updates to employers; and no-touch devices and monitoring systems to support contactless time-entry and building access to reduce the risk of exposure from contact with shared services.
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“While vaccinations may be on the rise, employers and businesses still cannot afford to relax their public health protocols,” Mr. de Hesselle said. “Randstad is committed to helping keep workers safe and is prepared to assist employers utilize the latest ‘no-touch’ technology to stay current with public health guidelines and promote public health in the workplace.” Randstad, which has screened and vetted a number of technological solutions for this purpose, will work with leaders in any industry or business to select the right solution for them based on unique challenges and circumstances.
A Smart and Safe Reopening
“The pandemic has forever altered the American workplace, much like 9/11 altered the way Americans fly,” Mr. de Hesselle said. “One of the biggest challenges facing businesses is how to facilitate a smart and safe reopening. As a workforce solutions partner, Randstad is using its rapid installation and management expertise to help companies return to normal because technology alone will not solve this problem. Solutions need to be implemented and managed properly and integrated with human resource processes to ensure the necessary protections are in place,” he said. “Even as vaccinations rise, workplaces are going to need to implement measures like temperature checks and other health screenings to ensure the continued safety of their workforce.”
C-Suite Pain Points and Opportunities on The Road to Post-Pandemic Recovery
With more states and cities lifting restrictive business measures amid a decline in the number of coronavirus cases, the jobs economy continues to show signs of improvement. Will organizations and top executives be ready to handle a quick bounce back? How effectively organizational leaders rise to the occasion will play a determining role in the structure and pace of recovery, said Jodi Chavez, president of Tatum. In a recent interview with Hunt Scanlon Media, Ms. Chavez unpacks the pain points and opportunities that are confronting four key executive roles — CEOs, CFOs, CTOs and CHROs — for insights and answers.
“While the pandemic has changed the way people work, many employers are still telling us that they will have some form of office or onsite presence and in some cases, employers need to welcome workers back on site to fulfill a role,” said Mr. de Hesselle. “Laboratory assistants, for example, will still need to be onsite to fulfill elements of their job. Additionally, companies have visitors (customers, suppliers, etc.) and those numbers will also grow with the new normal. In order to protect the health and safety of the workplace, employers are looking for new technology that will guard against the spread of illnesses like COVID-19 and other mutations. Randstad Technology Group is helping companies work through these needs and identify the right technologies to meet their objectives.”
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Randstad Technologies Group has a track record of vetting, recommending and establishing technological solutions to pressing problems for companies across a wide variety of industries. The company has deployed and installed more than 500,000 devices and conducts an average of 20,000 unique site visits each year. Rapid deployments of technology over large geographies is a strength of Randstad Technologies’ infrastructure practice; examples include full branch technology migration across over 400 hundred retail banks in a single weekend and device deployments at over three thousand chain restaurants in just four months.
Recent Alliance
Randstad US and Udemy have partnered to offer free educational courses to American workers either already placed or currently looking for roles through Randstad’s job network. The alliance focuses on providing access to the skills needed to increase career mobility in primarily technical sectors. “We have partnered with Udemy to ensure that our talent has access to the fresh and high-quality content they need to become and remain employable in the ever-changing job market,” said Jennifer Seith, senior vice president of product strategy and innovation at Randstad US. “The pandemic has highlighted the importance of equipping every American with versatile skills that can easily transfer to growth industries, especially in the technology sector. This partnership will allow talent in Randstad’s network to focus on enhancing their skills to grow in their current roles and better position themselves for future roles, as well.”
“Udemy is proud to partner with forward-thinking organizations like Randstad that are directly aligned with our mission to improve lives through learning,” said Stephanie Stapleton, vice president of customer success at Udemy. “As the skills required to do nearly every job continue to change, this partnership will provide access to development opportunities that are actionable, dynamic, and meet individuals in their specific moment of need.”
The partnership is part of Randstad US’ contribution to the Pledge to America’s Workers, a national initiative to train and retrain workers in order to translate their skills to more in-demand industries. Through the initiative, Randstad US is committed to skilling 40,000 U.S. workers — and to building a more resilient workforce in a challenging economy exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Related: C-Suite Pain Points and Opportunities on The Road to Post-Pandemic Recovery
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media