Sohil Janieh and his team of sales representatives at Toronto-based Labatt Breweries of Canada had to do some fancy footwork to keep pace with the pandemic-induced changes to their business when, in midMarch, the Ontario government shut down bars and restaurants across the province.
“We had to pivot quickly and focus on the retail side of the business – LCBOs, The Beer Stores and grocery stores that sell beer,” says Janieh, Labatt’s territory manager for the Greater Toronto market. “With greater restrictions on the hospitality sector, retailers, especially grocery stores, saw a major surge in sales. We knew they needed our help to meet the demand.”
In many cases, Janieh and his fellow sales reps pitched in and helped the grocers merchandise Labatt’s displays. “We really had to jump in and serve our customers,” he adds. “We took on many different roles.”
Janieh and his team went the extra mile for their customers. The company, in turn, went all out to support its employees, most of whom were cast into the unfamiliar role of working from home.
“We’re a very informal company, which sets us apart,” says Oksana Chuyko, vice-president people. “That informality fosters connections between employees. It was important to keep those connections alive, especially from a distance.”
That meant many regular social events had to be adapted to the online world. Under normal circumstances the company holds “stein sessions” once a month on a Wednesday or a Thursday. Near the end of the work day, employees gather to enjoy a beer or other beverage while they welcome new hires or recognize personal milestones such as long service.
“We pivoted those to the virtual world and, in addition, each team replicated them on a weekly basis to get everyone together, because it’s really been a challenging year for everyone,” says Chuyko.
The company also holds regular Wellness Wednesday social activities that bring employees together and build camaraderie. In the absence of in-person events, the company tapped food bloggers and chefs to share their advice and expertise with employees through webinars run-up to Canada Day, the company’s certified cicerone – the brewing equivalent of a sommelier – gave a lesson on how to barbecue steaks and burgers to perfection.
In early May, the company organized a one-hour, online Wellness Wednesday event with Max Kerman, front man for the hugely popular, Hamilton-based rock band Arkells. Kerman performed a few numbers on acoustic guitar, discussed his daily online music class, and took questions from employees participating through Zoom.
Such events proved popular and lifted spirits, but Labatt also took extra steps to maintain morale, especially during the early days of the pandemic when so little was known about the nature of COVID19 and its effects on human health.
“We introduced quite a bit in terms of wellness resources, training and lectures,” says Chuyko. “We had medical professionals come in and talk about the pandemic to help our employees understand it a little better.”
For many employees, these initiatives were both reassuring and effective. “I felt supported by everyone,” says Janieh. “It really made you feel like we were all in this together."
