It has now been six months since we have been co-living with COVID-19. The pandemic has affected people, communities, and businesses across the globe. Events of this magnitude naturally lead us to reflect on our place and role in society.
ValueFirst is a global family of people that cares deeply about the world. The well-being and safety of our colleagues and customers are naturally our top priorities. It has been heartening to see how our teams have implemented 'Work From Home'. Thankfully, since our business continuity planning processes were well-defined, the transition took us merely a few days back in March, and we became a 100% remote workforce even before regional lockdowns were in place without any disruption. It has been six months and I'm proud that not one business escalation has reached me.
While we are all physically distant, we're not socially or emotionally distant from our teams. To make sure our employees are doing well, our Human Resources has launched multiple efforts to focus on psychological responses, signs of mental health issues, among others. Over the years, we have built a culture that allows our colleagues to take ownership and act with urgency, both of which are proving to be extremely useful in these times.
The last six months have been helpful with people finding themselves and reconnecting with their passions, picking up new hobbies and making themselves a better version of themselves which is fulfilling what we stand for where values always come first. I, for instance, started cooking again after years. Many of our colleagues picked up singing, playing instruments, fitness among other things.
On a lighter note, sharing with you something I stumbled on Twitter recently:
On the business front, there has been so much happening:
1. We rolled out Botsup, a Do-It-Yourself chatbot builder in some markets. With businesses going online, chatbots are the need of the hour. Botsup empowers people to create conversational chatbots without knowing how to code.
2. We launched the new ValueFirst and declared Joy. We are the girl/guy next door. We are a reliable friend you’d expect to turn up on time and solve everything or just be up for a chat; and this is what the new us represents.
3. Our 'Email in 2020' report came out. The report contains a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. The research report categorizes the global email market landscape; email across various industries, modern marketer’s challenges, and effective email marketing challenges.
4. To help young start-ups, especially during these times, we partnered with GSVlabs and Amity Innovation Incubator. Through these partnerships, ValueFirst continues to help businesses reach out to their customers seamlessly via our product stack.
5. We held our first-ever virtual town-hall. It was incredible to see everyone together like before, appreciate the top performers and update the teams about business and more.
6. In the last six months, the ValueFirst family has increased by about 50 free-spirited souls. While virtual onboarding has been a new experience for all of us, it is amazing to see how people have accustomed themselves to this new normal. There are still some open roles, we're looking to hire for. Check them out and #JoinTheJoy!
ValueFirst is its people and today where we are challenging the norm and growing despite these tough times, it is only because of the continuous dedication and commitment of its people who are not working as employees but are our family, my family. Our services are up and running as always - so you can reach your customers and they can connect with you. We are always an email/ call away. No question is off-topic or too small (though you might hear kids and pets).
Lastly, please take good care of yourself and your loved ones. Stay safe. Stay healthy. Be patient and kind. There is no better time to strengthen our bonds, to stand together (digitally), to help each other through this storm, and come out the other side stronger.
With joy,
Vish Bajaj
