HR in War“Times like these test your bones. Our company has bones of steel.”
HR in War
“Times like these test your bones. Our company has bones of steel.”
Optimove has outlined how it has managed to restructure itself across four locations around the world following the attack in Israel last month.
We had the playbook of how to immediately take action from our experience during the COVID-19 pandemic which we adopted within 24 hours,” explained Shirly Evrany, VP of HR at Optimove. “We have four locations around the world with main offices in New York, London, and Tel Aviv, and another office in Dundee. In Tel Aviv, 38 employees were called for reserve duty, and of course, other employees have one of their immediate family members drafted.”
HR in War explores how companies in Israel are adapting in unusual times. CTech believes the world should know about the atrocities committed on 7/10 while also highlighting the continued resolve and resistance of the Israeli tech ecosystem.
“One of our values is comradery which is apparent in the Optimove family across the globe. Our CEO noted that times like these test your bones. Our company has bones of steel,” she added.
Company name: Optimove
Your name and title: Shirly Evrany, VP of HR
Names of founders and upper management: Pini Yakuel, CEO
Field of activity: CRM Marketing
Number of employees: 450
Office location: Tel Aviv, New York, London, Dundee
On a scale of 1-10, how much did the war disrupt operations at the company?
Two. We had the playbook of how to immediately take action from our experience during the COVID-19 pandemic which we adopted within 24 hours. We have four locations around the world with main offices in New York, London, and Tel Aviv, and another office in Dundee. In Tel Aviv, 38 employees were called for reserve duty, and of course, other employees have one of their immediate family members drafted. We’re monitoring the situation and their needs closely. Our company is built with redundancy with global teams by function. Our New York, London, and Dundee teams cover for our drafted employees.
One of our values is comradery which is apparent in the Optimove family across the globe. Our CEO noted that times like these test your bones. Our company has bones of steel.
What consequences have you experienced from these disruptions?
Our teams are now mostly working from home and all non-essential projects have been pushed back. A few have come to the office on occasion. Most of our attention is now focused on helping our employees maintain a healthy frame of mind on the one hand and maintaining excellent support for our clients on the other. The workload is shared with members of our international offices to ensure our clients' activity isn’t impacted.
What are the two major challenges you are coping with these days?
Our biggest challenge is ensuring our employees maintain a positive state of mind and feel supported. We want our employees in Israel and abroad to know they can count on us for support and assistance.
We have ensured our clients and partners continue to get all the support they require from our professional teams. Our client feedback reveals that they have had no disruption.
What support do you provide to employees?
We provide employees with comprehensive support, recognizing the diverse challenges they are facing. For example, we’ve secured a bank of therapy hours with top psychologists, offering personalized 1:1 sessions.
We established an online form enabling employees to request or offer support, considering both professional and personal needs, and maintain a hub with crucial information and FAQs for clients, partners, and contractors.
Additionally, we organized several company training sessions. For example, one focused on Emotional Coping in Times of War for all staff, led by a clinical psychologist, and another for managers, delving into crisis management and uncertainty. Regular all-hands meetings are held to foster team support, and our HR team remains in constant contact with employees to assess and meet their needs effectively.
We're deeply involved in community efforts, volunteering, and donating food, equipment, and laptops to families affected by the crisis.
Do you have employees with foreign citizenship who asked to work from another country? If so, has movement been requested/approved?
We appreciate that while people have different needs, we all want to feel safe. A handful of employees with foreign citizenship have asked to temporarily work from abroad and we’ve approved their request immediately.
How do you communicate the situation to customers? Do you see hostility or support?
We have seen nothing but support from our clients. We work closely with many of them and their concern and care mean a lot to all of us. Our emergency situation playbook has been on hand since COVID-19 which means we managed to adapt in 24 hours, and our clients play a major part in that. We are even more proactive than normal times, keeping them in the loop with news and updates.
In the event employees feel they encounter hostility, how do you guide them to respond to the situation?
We always encourage our employees to voice their opinions in a respectful and lawful manner and wartime is no different. We encourage them to consider the words they use, take a deep breath in the face of hostility, and respond with logic rather than rage.
