Are Workers Ready for the 2021 Consumer Boom?

Online staff assessments can help employers prepare workers for increased demand

TRUMBULL, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--“Pent-up” consumer demand is set to fuel a post-pandemic boom as the Covid-19 vaccine is rolled-out globally. Questionmark, the online assessment provider is, calling on employers to answer five crucial questions to ensure their workforce can cope with a rush of interest.

During the pandemic, average income has fallen. But average spending has decreased more, allowing many to save. Economists at investment bank Morgan Stanley estimate that Americans have set aside an additional $1.1 trillion.¹ In the UK, the Bank of England claims that savers have stored up £100bn between them.²

As vaccines are rolled-out, social distancing measures will be eased. This money will hit restaurants, bars, the high streets and online, unleashing a wave of consumer demand.

Can staff cope with the increased demand? Five crucial questions

1) Is there sufficient capacity? Can the workforce handle the anticipated rush? If not, where can employers find extra capacity? Is the business ready for a recruitment drive? Do managers know what skills they are looking for?

2) Do workers have the skills they need? An uptake in demand could create new scenarios for staff to navigate. Do they have the skills they need?

3) Do workers have the right attitude to “ride the wave”? Following a difficult period of work and life, are workers in the right frame of mind to cope well with a rush? Do they need support?

4) What further training is needed? If new skills are needed, what training would help? If workers need a shift in mindset how can this be modeled and encouraged?

5) How can change be managed seamlessly? If new starters need to be brought onboard, or training rolled out, how can this be done in a way that minimizes disruption to the frontline?

Employers need meaningful answers to each of these questions. For that they require robust and reliable information.

Online staff assessments can give employers the information they need to make better people-related decisions. Assessments can identify strengths and weaknesses across teams and business functions. They can reveal which staff have the attitude to adjust to new situations.

Employers can use assessments to create relevant and tailored training programs. Further assessments can check that the training worked.

Lars Pedersen, CEO of Questionmark, said: “Increased consumer spending in 2021 could be exactly what many businesses need. But are workers ready to take advantage of it? Now is the time to ask critical questions.

“Employers should seek the information they need to ensure staff have the skills, attitude and support they need to thrive. Data and information from staff assessments will help employers make better people decisions and ensure their people are set up for success.”

The Questionmark enterprise-grade platform makes assessment content easy to create and adapt. The platform automatically marks papers and instantly compiles results. It is easy to spot trends and patterns. When the stakes are high, a range of anti-cheating measures are available.

www.questionmark.com

Notes to editors

About Questionmark

Questionmark unlocks performance through reliable and secure online assessments.

Questionmark provides a secure enterprise-grade assessment platform and professional services to leading organizations around the world, delivered with care and unequalled expertise. Its full-service online assessment tool and professional services help customers to improve their performance and meet their compliance requirements. Questionmark enables organizations to unlock their potential by delivering assessments which are valid, reliable, fair and defensible.

Questionmark offers secure powerful integration with other LMS, LRS and proctoring services making it easy to bring everything together in one place. Questionmark's cloud-based assessment management platform offers rapid deployment, scalability for high-volume test delivery, 24/7 support, and the peace-of-mind of secure, audited U.S., Australian and European-based data centers.

¹ https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/08/consumers-savings-buffer-accumulated-during-pandemic-could-help-aid-the-economy-without-stimulus.html

² https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/dec/07/uk-covid-savings-haldane-bank-of-england