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New Delhi, As global layoffs deepen, Indian startups are not far behind and have sacked thousands of employees in the past 3-4 months, with many more to be given pink slips in the coming months amid deepening funding winter. In <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, more than 21,000 employees have been laid off by more than 70 startups to day, including from unicorns like BYJU'S, <keyword id="6354720" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ola" source="Orion">Ola</keyword>, MPL, Innovaccer, Unacademy, Vedantu, Cars24, <keyword id="2808667" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="oyo" source="Orion">OYO</keyword>, Meesho, Udaan and many more. The edtech sector has laid off the most employees, with 16 edtech startups laying off more than 8,000 employees to date. With the onset of January, more and more Indian companies are slashing jobs across the spectrum. The new year has already seen more than 16 homegrown startups sack employees in the country. Social media company <keyword id="3358959" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="sharechat" source="Orion">ShareChat</keyword> (Mohalla Tech Pvt Ltd) has laid off 20 per cent of its workforce due to uncertain market conditions. Backed by Twitter, Google, Snap and <keyword id="526777" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="tiger-global" source="Orion">Tiger Global</keyword>, ShareChat has about 2,300 employees, and the layoff impacted about 500 people at the company, Healthtech unicorn Innovaccer has sacked nearly 245 employees, or about 15 per cent of its workforce, across teams in India and the US. Innovaccer cofounder and CEO Abhinav Shashank cited an "uncertain macroeconomic environment" as the reason behind the job cuts, according to an internal mail sent to employees and accessed by leading startup news portal Inc42. This was the second layoff at the company in around 4-5 months' time amid the deepening funding winter and recession fears. In September last year, Innovaccer laid off nearly 120 employees, or less than 8 per cent of its workforce. Online food delivery platform <keyword id="6358977" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="swiggy" source="Orion">Swiggy</keyword> confirmed that the company is laying off 380 employees as food delivery growth slows. MediBuddy, an end-to-end digital healthcare platform in India, has laid off 8 per cent of its workforce, around 200 people, across all departments as a restructuring exercise. Homegrown online vehicle repair platform GoMechanic, backed by <keyword id="563136" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sequoia-india" source="Orion">Sequoia India</keyword>, has laid off 70 per cent of its workforce as the startup struggles to raise funds amid serious concerns of accounting troubles. The company has asked the remaining staff to work without pay for three months, according to reports. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) voice automation startup Skit.ai has asked more than 115 employees to go, mostly from its India team, as part of the "restructuring process" amid the deepening funding winter. Even IT giant <keyword id="10862" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="wipro" source="Orion">Wipro</keyword> has laid off more than 400 fresher employees for poor performance in internal assessment tests. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budgeting-for-climate-change/articleshow/97378027.cms">Budgeting for the fifth C</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/an-app-that-wants-to-turn-fear-of-stock-markets-into-fun-raises-75-lakh-from-sharks/articleshow/97378121.cms">An app that wants to turn fear of stock markets into fun raises ₹75 lakh from sharks</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/steps-taken-in-subsidence-hit-joshimath-inadequate-declare-himalayas-eco-sensitive-zone-say-experts/articleshow/97411665.cms">Steps taken in subsidence-hit Joshimath inadequate, declare Himalayas eco-sensitive zone, say experts</a>

70-plus Indian startups show exit door to 21K techies, more pink slips coming

As hospitality major <keyword id="2808667" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO" source="Orion">OYO</keyword> firms up plans for its initial public offering (<keyword id="6354763" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPO" source="Orion">IPO</keyword>), financial services company <keyword id="151304" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="jefferies" source="Orion">Jefferies</keyword> says that while the company saw one of the strongest first quarters in many years, there are some challenges that it needs to address to maintain growth momentum. According to the report the two major factors that have helped OYO improve unit economics as it turned EBITDA (adjusted) positive in the first quarter of FY23 is the broad-based improvement in travel trends and business restructuring by the company. Even though OYO faces stiff competition from traditional hotel companies, short-term vacation rental companies, other online travel agencies (including <keyword id="3658983" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="super-apps" source="Orion">Super Apps</keyword> hosting peer OTAs) and competition from search engines in attracting, engaging and retaining customers on platform, the Covid-induced downturn gave OYO an opportunity to rethink the scale, size and cost of operations and shifted its focus on refining the hotel footprints by increasing profits per hotel according to Jefferies. Its revenue shows steady momentum across all segments in Q1FY23. "OYO's ability to provide customers with access to a broad range of high-quality storefronts at a compelling price point, coupled with brand strength and attractive loyalty and referral programs, provide organic and repeat demand for storefront bookings, resulted in increased Gross Booking Value (GBV) for the company," quotes the report. The Gross Booking Value (GBV) per hotel per month modestly recovered in FY22 and has seen a sharp jump in 1QFY23 after bottoming out in FY21. The report also highlighted that the number and variety of storefronts is a measure of width and reach of the platform and is a key value proposition to the customers. Therefore, growth in patron base and storefront footprint globally will be critical for the organisation. It will also have to keep the focus on growing the gross bookings value (GBV) per storefront -- organically, including from various loyalty programs to incentivize bookings from new customers and drive growth. The report also referred to OYOs asset-light, technology-driven business model that has enabled it to scale business globally and provided it with a competitive advantage in the short-stay accommodation space, besides accelerated development and adoption of technology/products to reduce operating costs and reposition its offerings. OYO's adjusted Gross Margin improved from 9.7 per cent in FY20 to 33.2 per cent in FY21 and 40-41 per cent in FY22/1QFY23. In FY22, Adjusted EBITDA losses narrowed to Rs 4.7 billion from Rs 17.5 billion losses in FY21, and the company turned profitable on EBITDA (Adjusted) in 1QFY23. In addition, the company's Contribution profit improved from 5.1 per cent in FY20 to 22-23 per cent in FY22 and 1QFY23. OYO's employee expenses decreased by 63 per cent YoY in FY21 (grew 7 per cent YoY in FY22) driven by rationalisation of employees, centralisation of key functions in strategy, better revenue management, moving corporate support teams from a country level to a regional level, rationalisation of non-core businesses and increased automation led operational efficiency. However, the report also pointed out that OYO is presently focused in India, Indonesia, Malaysia and <keyword id="28249" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="europe" source="Orion">Europe</keyword> since they are more mature in terms of the scale of storefront footprints and unit economics. These markets together account for 90 per cent of its storefronts globally. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/nhai-invit-raises-1430-crore-through-follow-on-issuance/articleshow/94823990.cms">NHAI InvIT raises ₹1,430 crore through follow-on issuance</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rupee-opens-at-82-30-trades-in-narrow-range-against-us-dollar-in-opening-trade/articleshow/94827668.cms">Rupee opens at 82.30, trades in narrow range against US dollar in opening trade</a>

This is how OYO became profitable at operating level in Q1FY23, reveals Jefferies

Tech giant <keyword id="10387" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="microsoft" source="Orion">Microsoft</keyword> and travel technology platform <keyword id="2808667" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="oyo" source="Orion">OYO</keyword> on Thursday announced that they have entered a multi-year strategic alliance to co-develop next generation travel and hospitality products and technologies. OYO will adopt <keyword id="1033762" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Microsoft-Azure" source="Orion">Microsoft Azure</keyword> as a key enabler to drive cloud-based innovations and reimagine the hospitality and travel tech industry. The solutions will be geared to benefit patrons who operate small and medium hotel and home storefronts. Microsoft has also made a strategic equity investment in OYO. "Combining the power of Azure with the tech and product stack developed by OYO, we are looking forward to accelerating innovation in travel and hospitality," Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, said in a statement. As part of this alliance, OYO will develop Smart Room experiences for travellers on the OYO platform, such as premium and customized in-room experiences for its guests. Using Microsoft's Azure IoT, the experience will include self-check-in supported by a digital register of arrivals and departures and self-Know Your Customer (KYC) along with IoT-managed smart locks and virtual assistance. "We are excited to join hands with Microsoft in our constant endeavour to improve business opportunities for the small and independent hotel and home owners, and to redefine experiences for travellers," said Abhinav Sinha, Global COO and Chief Product Officer - OYO Hotels and Homes. "This alliance with Microsoft will accelerate the deployment of our products in the hands of small businesses we work with, allowing us to create even more impact through an integrated technology ecosystem available on the cloud for businesses in the remotest corners of the world," Sinha added. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ford-motor-to-stop-manufacturing-cars-in-india-4000-employees-may-lose-jobs/articleshow/86065322.cms">Ford Motor to stop manufacturing cars in India; 4,000 employees may lose jobs</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/amazon-vs-future-retail-supreme-court-stays-delhi-high-courts-verdict-enforcement/articleshow/86064426.cms">Amazon Vs Future Retail: Supreme court stays Delhi High Court's verdict enforcement</a>

Microsoft announces strategic investment in OYO

<ul><li>In our latest interview series, we speak to a few CMOs to understand how they are helping out their organisations find the right ways to connect with consumers.</li><li>Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand, OYO tells us how the brand has been using its marketing tools to help out people.</li></ul>India crossed the three-lakh mark of fatalities on May 24 as it reported 4,454 new deaths in a single day due to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-becomes-third-country-to-surpass-three-lakh-mark-of-covid-19-deaths-with-4454-new-fatalities-in-a-single-day/articleshow/82900228.cms">Covid-19</a>. India is the third country to cross three-lakh deaths after US and Brazil. This second wave of COVID-19 has impacted our livelihoods and businesses like never before. All employees are struggling to focus at work. At such dire times, many companies are trying to launch wellness programmes at work to ensure a positive work environment or doing their bit by amplifying the SoS requests and/or donating to NGOs. And this battle is far from over. Understanding the gravity of the situation, India’s hotel unicorn OYO has extended its support to help out its employees and customers. OYO’s employees who have lost their lives due to COVID-19, will be given 8 months payment and the company will support the education of their children for five years. It has also moved to a 4-day working week for the month of May. “2021 is grim. What's going on is just a whole other challenge to deal with. Almost every single person of our team is impacted either personally or with someone amongst their family or friends getting infected,” said Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand, OYO. “There's organisation-wide tracking and a Covid war room setup to help people with whatever they need; Oxygen cylinders, OCs, hospitalisation, meals, medicines etc. What we've done in addition to that is set up a team level tracker to check on folks every day. It's just a more personal way to do this we find. And if anyone or their family is impacted then it's just normal for us to check on them daily and see if they need anything. Both as someone who works with a team and as just a human being, you have to make time to check on people today. It's not a formality, it is a necessity.” In the interim, OYO has also shifted its marketing strategy and has recast its business model. It has turned a few of its properties to function as quarantine and isolation facilities for COVID-19 positive patients. On how the second wave has impacted OYO’s larger business goals, Hola said, “Ritesh gave us a very simple goal for the next little bit. We will help whoever we can and prevent as many lives from being lost as possible for us to do. I think it's a great goal to focus the organisation towards. And we've got hundreds of people coming together to do exactly that.” The company had conducted a guest survey to identify upcoming industry trends. As per the survey, 87% of the OYO customers said that they will prefer hotels with immunised staff when they plan to travel again. “Vaccination visibility when self-reported timely and accurately will become a confidence builder for travel recovery,” tweeted Founder and Group CEO Ritesh Agarwal. So, during the second wave, OYO’s two major focus areas have become: OYO care and VaccinAid; the latter is a feature on its app that shows self-reported vaccination status of hotel staff across the country. Telling us more about OYO’s focus areas for this quarter, Hola said, “It really helps when you've got a direction as clear as we have to help people in general and OYOpreneurs and their families in particular. Today, the brand we all are focusing on is OYO Care. Our quarantine and isolation stays project is a big focus area for us. Both on the retail and corporate (b2b) side. And the VaccinAid feature that transparently declares properties which have vaccinated staff and encourages our guests to vaccinate themselves is another focus area for the mid to long term. It is not business as usual, but it is perhaps more rewarding than usual to be able to help even one person today.” During the nation-wide lockdown 1.0, the grinding halt on travel and tourism also impacted home-grown hospitality brand OYO by bringing its revenue down to zero levels. However, with cities unlocking and global restrictions easing gradually in the second half of the year, OYO reached ~45% of pre-COVID occupancy levels in December. As many other CMOs, 2020’s uncertain time taught Hola how to draw boundaries between work life and personal life. He told us that 2021 has been a little easier in terms of adjusting to the sudden waves of changes as felt more prepared for the uncertain challenges that come in his way. “The first wave was like learning to surf. We fell off the surfboard a lot. It was a lot of getting used to. But now working from home is something you've learnt to deal with and you just get on with it. Schedule wise, I find that it's more sorted. Work days are intense as usual but everyone has fallen into a pattern and there's a lot more respect for post work hours and weekends. More than anything, 2020 taught us what to expect and as such we're a lot more prepared (work wise) to deal with the second wave,” said Hola. On social media front, OYO has been focusing on connecting with COVID survivors and reminding people to get vaccinated. Business-oriented communication has taken a backseat for now. <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Its print ad won hearts on the internet for using the advertising space wisely. It published a ‘handy Spo2 chart’ on the first page of Hindustan Times for people who are tracking their loved ones oxygen levels on a daily basis. The copy read, “We can keep saying that we care but unless it helps you, it’s a waste. So we decided to give you our ad space to take care of yourself and your loved ones.” <div type="twitter" handle="RohanKochhar" handlename="Rohan Kochhar" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1357300572601286656/FuosOMJ1_normal.jpg" favoritecount="142" retweetcount="23" status="This advertisement by OYO Care today is marketing at it’s brilliant best!Well done @oyorooms https://t.co/EGWoowmJbB" createdat="1621589586000" id="1395674000873836547"></div> This print ad is a great example of how brands can use advertising, which is the biggest and strongest weapon they hold, to provide value to its audience and bring about change. “Right now, our only focus is to help and we're using whatever tools and channels we have to do so,” said Hola. Many marketers have chosen silence to help their audience deal with the horrifying situation that our country is facing or they have chosen to continue selling products as usual. There are a few handful brands that have taken a kind, empathetic approach in their advertising campaigns. On what should brands do in today’s scenario, Hola said, “If you can help, please help. Even if you're selling goods or services that are helpful, that's fine. But whatever you do, don't moment market this crisis. There's a special place in communication and marketing hell reserved for that.” <keyword id="4964826" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-hotels">OYO Hotels</keyword> and Homes currently has over 1,00,000 small hotels and homeowners across 800 cities in 80 countries on its platform <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="82099226" title="OYO’s ‘Hockey’ print campaign is winning the internet; there’s a lot more in store, says its head of global brand Mayur Hola" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Don't moment-market this crisis; there's a special place in communication and marketing hell reserved for that: Mayur Hola of OYO

New Delhi, June 1 () Hospitality firm OYO is granting employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) worth a total of around Rs 130 crore to all its furloughed employees impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as part of its efforts to minimise the disruption being experienced by them, an internal e-mail from its founder Ritesh Agarwal said on Monday. On April 8, OYO founder and Group CEO Ritesh Agarwal had said in a letter and video message that the company will place a certain number of employees on furloughs or temporary leaves, globally. According to the sources, the number of furloughed employees globally could run in thousands. The company, however, did not share any details regarding the number of the impacted employees. In an internal town hall note to the impacted employees, Agarwal on Monday said that while he hoped that the company can get as many employees back, he is cognisant of the practical reality that the uncertainty around the COVID-19 situation will continue for sometime. "I would like to recognise your contributions and this love and passion for OYO by making you a co-owner and shareholder of the company. I would like to inform you that all impacted OYOpreneurs would be eligible for ESOPs worth around Rs 130 crore ( around USD 18 million)," he added. Details on employees' specific grant will be shared on e-mail separately, which will be detailed as per their band and geographies, he added. "In addition, we also understand that some of you may already have stock options. For those employees, we are dropping the one-year cliff on the vesting of stock options for everyone we have hired in the past year. This will ensure that everyone departing, regardless of how long they have been with OYO, can become a shareholder," Agarwal said. The company will also provide stocks to employees not impacted, thereby making 100 per cent team members co-owners, he added. "This is the first time in the history of the company that such a large part of the organisation is being inducted as a stakeholder. That too at a time when some of you may decide not to be part of our future. This is a small token of gratitude from us for your contribution in building this company and for your unwavering support to us in good as well as bad times," Agarwal said. Given the uncertainty around the timelines for complete business revival, the company has also announced placement support for furloughed employees, keen to explore opportunities outside of the company or industry. "The organisation will also come up with an institutionalised placement support system for those who wish to avail it," Agarwal said. OYO is also actively working with the company's investors to identify opportunities in their portfolio companies and help its employees with alternative career opportunities in those companies, he added. "I am happy to share that in Japan, we have helped about 150 OYOpreneurs through this route," Agarwal said. The company has also formed an exigency fund for the employees who may need it for some critical illness cases, he added. Agarwal also said he was extremely sorry for the impact, and added that he wanted to re-emphasise that "this is not your fault in any way. This is a scary and a tough time for all of us in different ways." He also added that, "I am privileged to have worked with all of you. Thank you for helping the company get where it is today and for being an integral part of our company. Thank you for being a part of our lives. Thank you for coming to OYO. We are all better because of it." AKT HRS

OYO announces ESOPs for all furloughed employees impacted by COVID-19

Several global megatrends are transforming work and skill demands, such as technology, climate change, demographic shifts, urbanisation, and global value chains. People are no longer settling for unfulfilling and unhappy roles in the middle of ‘The Great Resignation.’ They desire learning, self-improvement, and knowledge growth instead. Applicants expect their employers to provide ongoing learning and development (L&amp;D) opportunities. With multiple advancements in modern technology, work practices need to evolve and keep pace, paving the way for continuous process improvement. Without a doubt, today, it is essential for the labour force to have skill sets on par with market trends. The development of skills contributes to structural transformation and employee productivity. Rethinking upskilling In light of this, Business Insider got candid with a few professional leaders. When asked how they needed to rethink their business to accommodate the next-generation workforce? Margaret D'Souza, Chief Human Resources Officer at Zeta, said, "Millennials and Gen Zers have been relatively evenly distributed in the workforce. They have experienced a career awakening, and work has not become the centre of their lives, but merely a part of it. Their primary concerns are, "how fast can I achieve my goals," "what is my life's purpose," and "is my passion aligned with what I am doing?" This has in turn accelerated how much they want to learn. This replaced long-term career development decisions with short-term ones. They now look for faster role growth and faster opportunities to use new skills. “On the bright side, they have a thirst for doing more in less time thanks to the pandemic, which provided ample opportunities to pursue other passions and opened up their eyes to new perspectives on their careers,” she said. It is agreeable, though that the current and next-generation workforce is 1. Self-motivated 2. Possess tech-savvy intelligence. 3. Desire to reinvest in oneself 4. Seek an advantage in cutting-edge technologies “So, the responsibility falls on companies to learn to be agile and stay relevant to help employees upskill,” Ashish <keyword id="255172" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="kumar-singh" source="Orion">Kumar Singh</keyword>, CHRO, Meesho opines. However, businesses still face a problem in adjusting to this marginally different view of a career and in making wise decisions to effectively retain and develop their personnel. Therefore, investing in a skilled workforce can start a positive loop of increased productivity. As a result, both the existing and future workforces are more productive and employable. <keyword id="15985200" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="pooja-dudani" source="Orion">Pooja Dudani</keyword>, AVP of HR at Cast24, sheds light on the same, saying, “Regardless of their work conditions, this generation is aware that it is up to them to make a difference and will do so." They are not the type to hope for a great opportunity from a potential employer.” Motivating the workforce The big question now would be, How do we keep these go-getters interested, relevant and motivated to stay in a job and get things done? Geetika Hans, VP and Head of HR for Product and Global Functions and Diversity Leader at OYO Rooms, said, “This generation needs to be challenged with more responsibility than what you would normally give someone their age. They are aware that they are investing their time into a company, which is why they command flexibility." One strategy for keeping employees on a growth cycle in a fast-paced environment is to encourage microlearning. Microlearning is a brief, concise kind of employee training. When training material is presented in easily digestible pieces at the right moment, it is more likely to be remembered. Additionally, future-proofing your wokrforce by nurturing in-house talent for leadership roles provides a big boost. Puneet Khurana, CHRO <keyword id="161885" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="policy-bazaar" source="Orion">Policy Bazaar</keyword>, explains the perks of doing so, “Growing leaders internally and saving senior positions for current employees helps avoid onboarding leaders in the future, which saves time and money." Additionally, it gives workers a chance to progress their careers and raises morale because a happy worker is always a productive one.” <keyword id="592503" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="lokendra-saini" source="Orion">Lokendra Saini</keyword>, COO at Ease my Trip, advises every organisation to have an academy to groom its resources so they know that the company is investing in them. The cherry on top of the cake here would be to offer internal job postings so employees can look at growing another skill within the company. Arushee Aggarwal, Head of Coursera Business, added to that suggestion, pointing out that role-based skilling would produce a better ROI. “It is important to tie learning opportunities to end points like possible career opportunities to ensure the upskilling is taken seriously." Companies thrive under this kind of growth. Upskilling: Gauging success metrics However, it isn’t enough to develop the program and ask people to participate. Although it’s critical to be enthusiastic about this initiative, leaders should also take steps to maximize its accuracy and efficiency. Let’s examine some best practices for assessing skill gaps and reskilling top talent. How can leaders gauge the success of upskilling initiatives? The large-level indicators that help leaders understand that an employee is on the right track 1. Check on improvement in productivity. 2. Check if the employees are able to impact business goals. Pooja Dudani, AVP of HR at Cast24, concluded by saying employers and leaders should journey with employees till the goal is reached. It’s less of a lone ranger and more of a partnership. In isolation, the end goal will die. Talent and skills need to be nurtured. That being said, it’s important to monitor and reward small milestones through regular one-on-ones. Despite the advantages, a lot of reskilling programmes frequently fail because of a lack of readiness, useful tools, and competent talent. Because of this, it's critical to spot skills shortages early on and pick the appropriate candidates for retraining. The last and possibly most important step is to evaluate your efforts. Disclaimer: This article is generated and published by the Insider Studios team. You can get in touch with them on insiderstudios@businessinsider.in

How upskilling can drive employee and business growth

<ul><li>Prasidha Menon, VP &amp; Global Head of Communications - <keyword id="4964826" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-hotels">OYO Hotels</keyword> &amp; Homes writes how the cardinal rule for all marketing and communications teams is to build a company’s communication strategy on the pillars of transparency, consistency, authenticity and empathy. </li><li>She shares a few drive impactful internal, external and social media communications in 2021. </li></ul>When in peril, it’s a human tendency to question the authenticity of the problem. The next step is, of course, solving the problem itself. When the COVID-19 crisis hit the world, some countries spent time understanding the magnitude of the virus. Some others were quick to acknowledge the problem at hand and then accelerate their decision-making processes based on the available information, learning from past crises of somewhat similar magnitude and embracing the uncertainty around this health crisis. Visibly, the latter group was able to control the situation better. To do this, such nations leveraged the power of timely and relevant audience-focused communications, and instilled a sense of urgency and collaborative responsibility, all of which helped bring people together and collectively rally towards the common goals of ‘beating the virus’ and adapting to the ‘new normal’ while the pandemic continues to create uncertainty. Today, as the world is slowly moving forward and taking a step towards embracing a new way of life, it is important to remember that the pandemic isn’t over yet. In my view, during such times, the cardinal rule for all marketing and communications teams is to build a company’s communication strategy on the pillars of transparency, consistency, authenticity and empathy. Needless to say, their communication should also reflect the same to all stakeholders - consumers, partners and, most importantly, the organisation’s employees. Here are a few ways to drive impactful internal, external and social media communications during a once-in-a-lifetime crisis (hopefully) like COVID-19: <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Purpose-driven communications: Redefining communications objectives in a disrupted world" text="Purpose-driven communications: Redefining communications objectives in a disrupted world">Purpose-driven communications: Redefining communications objectives in a disrupted world</cmsannotation> In a world where COVID-19 disrupted the disruptors, there is increased scrutiny and skepticism on companies, especially startups, and their long-term success. Thriving in such an age of disruption and a fast-evolving situation requires every organisation to have a well-thought-out purpose, an objective that drives all engagements, and a clear long-term plan. Leaders should lead with purpose. To put it simply, a brand’s objective would greatly differ today than it used to be in the pre-COVID days since the impact of the pandemic on the business calls for re-tooling everything. Today, organisations have a never-again opportunity to recalibrate, go back to basics and rebuild a future-proof business, with a renewed focus. While companies focus on doing this, the PR &amp; Communications function must be deeply entrenched within the business to identify opportunities to engage with various stakeholder groups and rebuild the trust and confidence in the brand. While positive developments from the vaccine space give us hope, overarching communication plans must still be agile and designed to battle uncertainty at any given point. Flexibility is crucial, as is cohesiveness and scenario-based engagement or planning to ensure that the company’s reputation doesn’t suffer during the recovery process. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Elevated Role of Communications: As brand custodians, there is a need to find authentic ways to keep your stakeholders engaged" text="Elevated Role of Communications: As brand custodians, there is a need to find authentic ways to keep your stakeholders engaged">Elevated Role of Communications: As brand custodians, there is a need to find authentic ways to keep your stakeholders engaged</cmsannotation> Good communication efforts are incomplete in today’s times if they are not authentic enough to win the hearts and minds of your key stakeholders. Everything that the company does should have the ability to move people, drive brand love and build loyalty for the organisation. Even in cases of companies that had to take inevitable and tough decisions to safeguard their future, those that led with empathy and authenticity were respected for leading from the front. So far, the marketing and communication teams were working towards reputational goals, while driving business outcomes. Today, it is extremely important for them to be the voice of reason and play a significant role in helping the management arrive at key business decisions, whose impact goes beyond the brand’s external reputation. Storytelling in times of crisis needs to be purpose-driven and action-led. There is a clear need to remind business stakeholders that it’s not always about business afterall, and drive initiatives that matter to one or more of your stakeholder groups - consumers, employees, partners, or the larger communities that the company serves. For instance, it is often said that in times of distress, a customer or a partner’s interaction with a brand triggers an immediate and lingering effect on their sense of trust and loyalty. It is, therefore, important for brands to stay ahead of the curve and engage consumers and partners with content that matters - relatable messages that interest their well-being and ‘evolved’ lifestyle. To achieve this, communication teams need to synergize across functions - be it brand &amp; marketing, business &amp; data analytics, tech or business teams - and drive decisions and improvements that are in the best interest of their stakeholders. Such integrated efforts across audience-focused communication channels (social media, traditional media, SMS, emailers, webinars, etc.) enable organisations to stay connected to their stakeholders and drive brand resonance. When it comes to employee communications, the communications team needs to work closely with the HR department as well as the leadership to find interesting ways to understand the pulse of the organisation and design campaigns that address their needs - morale-building, learning &amp; development, dealing with the ‘new ways of working’ or mental health and wellness. Owing to remote working, employee engagement and team bonding activities may have taken a hit, however, through exciting topical virtual events with external experts, coffee sessions with leaders, and upskilling workshops, organisations can continue to keep the morale high among their workforce. Sustaining momentum during a long-drawn-out crisis like COVID-19 requires organisations to be bold enough to acknowledge that they might not have the perfect answer to every situation. Or, for that matter, even a complete understanding of the situation and its impact in the long term. But they must still commit themselves to ‘act responsibly and engage empathetically’ and their communications should reflect that with as much authenticity as possible.

The holy trinity of communications: A guide to a cohesive internal, external and social media strategy in the next normal

(Eds: Recasting intro) New Delhi, Apr 22 () OYO on Wednesday informed employees that 25 per cent of their fixed salaries will be cut and asked some staff to go on a four-month leave with limited benefits from May 4 as the hotel rooms aggregator grapples with "economic pressures" due to COVID-19. The company, which has around 10,000 employees in the country, is a leading player in the hospitality industry that has been ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic. The nationwide lockdown, which has been extended till May 3, to curb spreading of infections has also significantly disrupted economic activities. "We had to take the hard decision of placing some OYOpreneurs on a leave with limited benefits (LwLB) from May 4, 2020, for four months until August 2020," OYO India and South Asia CEO Rohit Kapoor said in a email send to the employees which has been accessed by . Those going on this leave will avail benefits such as continuation of medical insurance and parental insurance, school fee reimbursement and ex-gratia support, he added. "In addition, to our colleagues on LwLB, in case there is an unforeseen medical emergency, we will support beyond the insured amounts, if the need so arises," Kapoor said. All these colleagues remain integral to the OYO family and "we hope we will be in a position to welcome them back into full-time roles sooner rather than later," he added. OYO is taking all necessary actions to mitigate COVID-19's impact and ensure long-term success and sustenance of the business while ensuring there are no job cuts despite the economic pressures, Kapoor said. When asked about the number of employees it is placing on leave, the company refused to share any numbers. The company, however, confirmed that the employees will receive an ex-gratia amount equal to a total of 60 per cent of the monthly fixed salary, paid in two equal instalments across May and June. OYO is also taking a difficult but necessary step for India, whereby the company is asking all employees to accept a reduction in their fixed compensation by 25 per cent. This will be effective for April-July 2020 payroll, Kapoor said. "All other benefits and terms of your contract will remain unchanged. Also, note that this action will be planned in such a way that post the proposed pay cut, the fixed compensation for any employee is not less than Rs 5 lakh per annum. "This ensures a large percentage of our colleagues at lower pay scales see no impact," he added. Earlier this month, OYO had started placing some of its employees on furloughs or temporary leaves in the US and other select markets on account of slump in the hospitality industry due to COVID-19 pandemic. "OYO has been a leading brand in the hospitality industry, hence the revenue impact of the crisis is significant - about 50-60 per cent revenue drop now... For our peer hotel chains in the industry, the revenue drop impact is as high as upwards of 75 per cent," OYO Founder and Group CEO Ritesh Agarwal had said at that time. AKT ANSANS

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