HR Post Covid
During Covid-19, Elementor helps web creators be “the superheroes of the present”
When the whole world moved online, it was the e-commerce and online education sectors that were revolutionized - and Elementor was there for them
“Besides the impact the outbreak had on our employees, it’s important to understand the people that we as a company are impacting,” explained Vice President HR, Ariela Bichler. “The pandemic revealed to many industries that the web creators of the world are the superheroes of the present.”
According to Elementor, which helps users build websites and share their content, these people are at the forefront of the most major global changes: the move to E-learning and eCommerce. “With that understanding, it was clear to everyone at Elementor that it’s not just about us, and there’s a bigger picture to look at and I believe that that served as an added motivation,” Bichler added.
Vice President HR, Ariela Bichler. Photo: Victor Levi Elementor joined CTech for its HR Post Covid series to share how the company stepped up in helping others in their goal of pivoting online during the pandemic.
Company Name: Elementor
HR Professional: Vice President HR, Ariela Bichler.
Field of Activity: Web Creation Platform.
Number of employees/location: 240 Worldwide
Professional background of HR Manager:
People are my passion, I’m intrigued by the things that make them grow and collaborate successfully within an organization. That’s why HR is not just my profession but my mission in life.
I’ve been an HR executive for the past 18 years. My background varies across both the Startup and the corporate worlds. Prior to my role as VP HR at Elementor, I led the HR efforts in companies such as Amdocs, Mempile, Traffix, and F5 to name a few. I also founded 360HR, an HR consultancy agency.
On a scale of 1-10, how much did the coronavirus pandemic disrupt operations at the company?
-15.
We are a digital-oriented hyper agile global company, This agility caters to our consumer needs to be creative so the pandemic only made us sharper in answering their needs.
Covid-19 unleashed the tremendous potential of our community to answer the huge surge in the need for professional websites. We were fortunate to be there for our web creators and help them grow.
What interesting technological tools do you use in employee management/recruitment?
We use a few internal communication channels like Slack and Whatsapp. In addition, we are using bob and Comeet. But the best recruiting tools aren't necessarily technological, our best tools are viral employee branding videos, filled with humor, on-brand ads, and activations to showcase our unique culture which portrays the company attitude and connects people to our vision.
What positive and/or negative impact did the outbreak have on the human capital of the company?
In the beginning, we studied the situation and the new reality. We quickly adjusted, made decisions, adapted to the new challenges, and addressed the needs of our employees as well as the business. Our employees' health and wellness were our main concerns from day one and have continued to be so.
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Besides the impact the outbreak had on our employees, it’s important to understand the people that we, as a company are impacting. The pandemic revealed to many industries that the web creators of the world are the superheroes of the present. These people are at the forefront of the most major global changes: the move to E-learning and to eCommerce. With that understanding, it was clear to everyone at Elementor that it’s not just about us, and there’s a bigger picture to look at and I believe that that served as an added motivation.
What are the two major challenges you are coping with these days?
First, our decision to launch our new 24/6 global customer support in Sderot. The decision to do so was a combination of the business need and a contribution of creating quality jobs in the western Negev region.
Second, the main challenge during Covid-19 is to maintain organizational engagement. From March 2020 until today, we recruited more than 100 employees. We continue to invest in new and exciting ways to engage our talent. For example, we just ran an in-house hackathon. Ideas were presented to the whole company who voted for their favorite.
Are you actively recruiting? If so, what is the process and where can the applicants find you?
Yes! We are looking for the best talents who want to make a big impact from day one.
We have high recruitment targets as we rapidly grow from 213 employees in 2020 to 420 by the end of 2021. Candidates can find us at careers.elementor.com and learn all about Elementor and view our open positions.
Which changes forced upon you by the circumstances will stay in place after Covid-19 is over, and which are you most eager to revert back to normal?
Working from home is here to stay, as we believe that it is important to maintain the wellbeing of our employees. These days we are preparing a hybrid program, and I believe that each employee will be able to choose the best route for him
Having said that, during Covid-19 we moved to a brand new facility in Ramat Gan which is not only beautiful, it is also extremely convenient and fun to work in so I personally can’t wait to see everyone together again in one location and not just through screens.
