Business View Oceania | Volume 3, Issue 7

19 20 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 MI LLENNIUM NEW ZEALAND last twelve months, there has been a lot more acknowledgement and appreciation of the site- based staff than I’ve ever seen before.” In addition to changes in public attitude towards cleaning staff, the pandemic has pushed Millennium New Zealand to extend their understanding of detailed sanitization and the skills required to effectively distribute related services to clients across both North and South islands. Advances in the use of communication systems such as Teams and Skype and the implementation of widespread decontamination training for staff are also measures that the company has put in place in response to the COVID-19 virus. O’Neill also notes that clients are now more interested in hiring for high- quality results, rather than the cheapest price. A significant challenge introduced by the pandemic has been the workload for Human Resources and Communications departments, in business, O’Neill says that the pandemic has actually presented them with some opportunities. He explains, “COVID-19 has given the business a chance to prove our value to worried clients, and has also increased feelings of self-worth within our staff. Cleaning has been around for hundreds of years, but all of a sudden, people actually see who the cleaners are and recognise the work that they are doing. For our cleaning staff individually, this has created an environment where they are seen as champions of the workplace – they are respected, they are no longer just the cleaner. I’ve been in the industry for twenty years now, and especially over the and gratitude for workers is an integral part of company culture. O’Neill shares, “We are very keen to recognise our people. We have monthly and annual awards that we send out to recognise our staff. As a business, we really are at the forefront of trying to say thank you to our people on a regular basis, in the best possible way.” The COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 brought major changes to the operations of Millennium New Zealand, as has been the case for many facilities management companies across the globe, but it also provided some unique and surprising advantages. When asked about the impact of COVID-19 on the shape of the Jared O’Neill, National Operations Manager TENNANTCO.CO.NZ EXPERT SERVICE INDUSTRY LEADING SOLUTIONS INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY VALUE BEYOND MACHINE CALL FOR A FREE DEMO 09 253 9013