by ABFRLadmin | April 8, 2020
At ABFRL, we work collaboratively to achieve our professional and organizational goals. As the world gears up to face the repercussions of the global pandemic, and with measures such as a 21-day lockdown in place pan India, it was imperative to re-align ourselves to new work ethos, while ensuring the essence of ABFRL rings true. To rise to the challenge, we looked for out-of-the box solutions to make sure we remained united, despite being physically apart.
To ensure that not just our employees at ABFRL, but everyone in the country who frequently works from home looks stylish on virtual meetings, Madura Fashion added a new pop-up on its Peter England brand site. While delivery remains deferred till further notice, people can navigate through the site for some much-needed tips when facing the camera with confidence. The new vertical is meant to engage consumers in navigating WFH situations, wherein they are facing a large audience on camera. We plan to make this vertical a permanent feature and increase selection as this culture of WFH is likely to gain momentum, said Vishak Kumar, CEO of Madura Fashion & Lifestyle.
Adding positivity and style to the otherwise gloomy scenario was the designer brand Shantanu & Nikhil. The CDO and co-founder Shantanu Mehra took to doodling while CEO and co-founder Nikhil Mehra rekindled his love for nature with gardening. Their team of designers and marketing personnel, not far behind, took the brands Instagram and Facebook accounts by storm with their fashion tips, musical finesse and culinary skills.
To ignite the competitive feeling and make employees feel like a part of the larger collective, Madura Fashion & Lifestyle HO asked them to share pictures of their home offices, followed by an internal poll by their peers for which office looked best. On receiving an overwhelming number of responses, our employees crowned a winner from among the top five entries.
Bringing people together in spirit, we engaged with creative minds within ABFRL by asking employees how would they explain the essence of Madura Fashion & Lifestyle to aliens who had landed on Earth. The challenge: they could only do so using symbols; resulting in extremely imaginative entries.
To bridge the physical distance, Madura Fashion & Lifestyle and Pantaloons HO invited employees to record a Tik Tok video of their favourite movie or dialogue to participate in an exciting Tik Tok challenge. Right from dancing to popular regional and Bollywood songs in the bedrooms, to enacting dialogs with their kids, it was fun to see our people making the most of their time in isolation.
Keeping in line with our Funshine Friday practice at the Pantaloons HO, there was a fun twist for Bollywood buffs. Through a series of Bollywood quizzes, it was a way to crown the biggest Bollywood fan in the ABFRL family.
Through diverse channels for photography, fitness and health, entertainment and literature on Microsoft Teams, the Madura Fashion & Lifestyle HO provided for employee engagement to help overcome the social distance. An exchange of stunning photographs, fitness tips, TV and movie recommendations and literary masterpieces, enabled our like-minded employees to virtually interact with one another.
To keep our ABFRL family fit and fab, there were several fitness challenges to keep everyones competitive spirit and motivation alive. As always, our employees at the Madura Fashion & Lifestyle HO rose to the occasion and there were some serious contenders to bag the title of fittest of the fit!
While working from home, it was imperative to encourage physical fitness through online live group sessions. With an exciting tie up with Cult Fitness; workout challenges, fitness tips and motivational messages made their way to our employee laptops.
Along with the physical safety of our employees, we had to ensure that their mental health was also taken care of. One small step in this direction take by the Madura Fashion & Lifestyle HO was striking a dialogue with them about appreciating the beauty around them, by asking them to share five things they were thankful for.
Looking at the lockdown as a chance to provide avenues for learning, we introduced employees to the Gyanodaya Virtual Campus (GVC) learning app that is rich in exciting webinars, sessions and courses.
Through weekly awareness online quizzes, the Madura Fashion & Lifestyle HO ensured employees remain aware and safe at all times, resulting in overall employee satisfaction.
These tough times have made one thing clear. As long as we keep working, motivating and supporting one another, the ABFRL family can overcoming challenging times.