The Coming Consumer Boom: Three Ways Firms Can Get Ready for Growth

New opportunities require new working arrangements

TRUMBULL, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#Questionmark–A forthcoming economic boom will create growth opportunities for firms. Questionmark, the online assessment provider, is urging employers to ask three crucial questions to ensure they have the right post-pandemic working arrangements in place to take advantage of the surge.

Thanks to a combination of government stimulus and �pent up” consumer spending, economists predict that $4 trillion will be released into the United States (US) economy as restrictions are lifted.¹ Strong growth is also forecast across the United Kingdom (UK),² the Eurozone,³ and Australia.⁴

New growth opportunities will require new working arrangements. For much of the last year, asking employees to work from home was the only option. But as governments look set to ease social distancing restrictions, employers have decisions to make.

For some, a year of productive remote working has proven that expensive offices are a thing of the past. Others believe that their productivity will be boosted when teams are working physically together at least some of the time.

Each employer must ensure they create the right working environment that boosts productivity, drives engagement and retains the best staff.

To accomplish this, Questionmark is encouraging employers to ask and answer three crucial questions:

1. Which skills are going to be important for future success?

2. Which of these skills and associated tasks can be effectively executed from home?

3. In what situations, and with what tasks, will individuals or teams perform better in offices or workspaces?

Lars Pedersen, CEO of Questionmark, said: “Change is coming. A consumer boom will have an impact across the entire economy. There will be new opportunities for firms to grasp. Making the right decision on working arrangements will be crucial.

“Each company will have different working arrangement requirements. Employers must ensure that they are making the best decision based on reliable and relevant information.”

Measuring staff skills with online assessments can indicate which tasks can be executed effectively from home and which can’t. This information can help employers make the best decision and explain their decision to the workforce.

For more information download the full report: “Managing a post-pandemic workforce: creating productive and informed working arrangements”.

The report forms part of the “Questionmark Viewpoint” series which explores the challenges that Questionmark customers face, and how Questionmark helps address them.

www.questionmark.com

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Notes to editors

About Questionmark

Questionmark unlocks performance through reliable and secure online assessments.

Questionmark provides a secure enterprise-grade assessment platform and professional services to leading organizations around the world, delivered with care and unequalled expertise. Its full-service online assessment tool and professional services help customers to improve their performance and meet their compliance requirements. Questionmark enables organizations to unlock their potential by delivering assessments which are valid, reliable, fair and defensible.

Questionmark offers secure powerful integration with other LMS, LRS and proctoring services making it easy to bring everything together in one place. Questionmark’s cloud-based assessment management platform offers rapid deployment, scalability for high-volume test delivery, 24/7 support, and the peace-of-mind of secure, audited U.S., Australian and European-based data centers.

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¹https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/revenge-spending-vaccinations-could-bring-millions-shoppers-back-mall-will-n1257993

²https://home.kpmg/uk/en/home/insights/2018/09/uk-economic-outlook.html

³https://www.euronews.com/2021/02/11/economic-forecast-some-eu-countries-will-recover-in-2021-others-must-wait-until-2022

⁴https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-economy-poll-idUSKBN29Q07B

Contacts

US: Kristin Bernor, external relations: Kristin.bernor@questionmark.com +1 203.349.6438

UK: James Boyd-Wallis: james.boyd-wallis@fourteenforty.uk +44 7793 021 607

Australia and New Zealand: Chelsea Dowd: chelsea.dowd@questionmark.com +61 2 8073 0527