Sarah Carnegie, the Co Chair of CIPD North EastThe speed with which businesses across the North East have adapted to markets which are now dominated by the effects of Covid has been a lifeline for the region economy.The shock of the initial impact was soon followed by the collective rolling up of shirt sleeves and a shared determination to rethink strategies and assets and help each other to survive, stabilise and grow.This is a new level of skills, which didn exist before the pandemic took hold but is now redefining the North East spirit as the region innovates and dominates in markets, forms new connections, rebuilds lost networks and accelerates virtual working that could have taken years, into just weeks.So the role of organisations like the CIPD, the professional body for HR People Development, is vital to keep the region in pole position in increasingly competitive markets and constantly changing rules.Its vast experience in recognising where help and guidance is needed has always made sure the businesses it works with are equipped to deal with anything that comes their way from new laws and new recruits to new tech and new markets because it has seen so many times that a more engaged workforce consistently deliver higher levels of service for customers.Its report Workplace Technology: the employee experience, issued in July 2020 spotlighted the strategic role HR Learning Development teams play in designing and delivering workplace changes that revolve around technology.Sarah Carnegie, Co Chair of the CIPD North East of England said: “The report highlights what people professionals need to understand about the impact of workplace technology on employees if they are to support and drive the best outcomes for both their people and the organisation”.As a major employer who understands the importance of good people practices as winners of Excellence in Health and Wellness at the CIPD North East of England HR Awards in 2019, insurance giant AND E (Aioi Nissay Dowa Europe) understands the positive impact new technology can have.Its People Culture Director in the UK, Andy Preacher, said: “Many of the actions necessary to deliver greater choice, flexibility and balance are already underway, but the pandemic has undeniably shone a brighter light on these areas and gives us more reason, focus and opportunity to do them faster now, before we lose the shared experiences and the lessons we are learning.Andy Preacher and sponsor Carsten Staehr Cintra with the CIPD Award for Excellence in Health and Wellness”It is very clear to us and to the CIPD that someone who is happier at work is going to provide a better customer experience.”The CIPD report said HR professionals can act as a voice for employees and be an advocate for the workforce in decisions about investment in new technology, making sure they are central to training and development plans.For Andy, one powerful thread running through all these changes is the health and wellbeing of workers. As well as understanding the additional pressures colleagues are under at the moment, the CIPD and organisations like AND E know that technology can help share an unexpected workload as well as providing informal spaces for team members to check in with one another.He said: “In the same way that we have seen technology have a seismic impact on consumer behaviour, expectations and demand, I believe Covid will do the same for attitudes to work across the globe.”The pandemic has disproven many long and deeply held theories about trust and leadership and allowed those with well developed cultures to take a step change in what it means to go to work and to serve their customers, who expect empathy and engagement when they want to connect.”Andy Preacher of AND E says someone who is happier at work is going to provide a better customer experienceAndy is a firm believer in using tech to make things better and improve the user experience, and that includes the right communication to help users appreciate the benefits and overcome the ageing stereotype of tech replacing jobs. For him and AND E this is about enabling rather than disabling the day to day work that personifies a business and gives it the character that can make such a difference in highly competitive markets.”From a HR perspective, I think there are some outstanding examples of tech being used in North East businesses, but there is also some work still to be done because technology evolves all the time as innovation increases and market demands change.