Grant Thornton Australia

There has been a dramatic shift in the way we work. While many companies have been slow to embrace flexible and remote working, it has been well and truly brought to the forefront thanks to coronavirus COVID-19. So when you're managing an entirely flexible workforce, how to you maintain engagement and motivation? Hear from Matt Croxford, National Head of Human Capital, and Katie O'Keeffe, Partner in Human Capital, as they dispel some of the myths around remote and flexible working, discuss strategies to maintain morale and motivation, and what we should expect from our leaders.

There is not much we cannot manufacture in Australia - and yet the sector represents just 6% of Australian GDP. For the manufacturing sector, what the coronavirus has created is transparency. For the first time, consumers are starting to understand what we do and don't make here - and are becoming increasingly aware of who made it, what's in it and what went into making a product. Even businesses are looking at their supply networks differently as they work hard to source local alternatives to global supply chains. If Government incentivised and prioritised local procurement we can enhance our long term supply chain security which could provide the catalyst for a manufacturing led recovery. Mark Phillips, National Head of Performance Improvement and manufacturing sector expert, explains how COVID-19 has affected the manufacturing industry, how generations to come will change their consumer behaviours as a result, and how the manufacturing sector could potentially lead the economic recovery of Australia.

The old rules no longer apply. Redundancy, once the norm for businesses trying to stay afloat in a recession, should be the last resort. Workforce restructuring, on the other hand, should be the first option on the table and can be adapted to fit your business. It's increasingly being seen as a key ingredient to come through this period of recession with an engaged workforce prepared to recommence and scale up operations quickly when the time is right. Hear from our CEO Greg Keith, and National Managing Partner of Financial Advisory Said Jahani, as they discuss how businesses are managing their workforces during COVID-19, what we can expect workforces to look like in the future, and the top 10 learnings from our experience in workforce restructuring.

Commercial property has been a key focus for policy makers, with a major component of the Prime Minister's hibernation strategy being rent relief and the recently finalised Commercial Tenancy Code. While we're only just seeing the States and Territories reveal how they will apply the Code, there are already a lot of questions around how landlords and tenants, financiers and Government can keep the balance and share the pain. Listen now as Sian Sinclair, our National Head of Real Estate & Construction, discusses how the property sector is responding, the key components of the Commercial Tenancy Code and what we'd like to see next from policy makers.

Every day has been like Christmas trading for essential retailers like Woolworths and Coles with significant supply and demand issues experienced in the past month - and not just for toilet paper. However, retailers are settling into the 'new normal', and we are already seeing more social distancing in stores and supply chain innovation. And with more of us shopping online for basic essentials than ever before how will we ever go back to the way it was before, what will this mean for the retailer's bottom line? Hear from Luke Ritchie, National Head of Consumer Products and Retail, as he unpacks what's happening behind the roller doors - from the increased shift to online, to automation innovations and how efficiencies created now will be adopted in the future.

National Managing Partner of Private Advisory, Tony Markwell explores the importance of evaluating your business model so you can hit the ground running when we're on the other side, engaging your people as your biggest fans, and embracing changes in consumer and customer behaviour to enhance the client experience.

Our National Head of Retail and Consumer Products, Luke Ritchie, discusses what we're seeing in the retail sector at the moment - from big leaseholders shutting doors, to innovation and doing things differently. What will consumer behaviour look like in 12 months? Listen to our podcast now to find out.

Grant Thornton Australia Partner Madeleine Mattera spoke about the current COVID-19 crisis and the role of the banks in supporting the economy. Madeleine discusses the significant moves we've seen from the RBA recently, what we can expect in the coming months from the financial services sector and 'pandemic plans'.

The business impacts are widespread, across all industries and sectors - and for those experiencing distress prior to the pandemic, COVID-19 could be the straw that breaks the camel's back. However, not all is lost. In this time of change and uncertainty in the business community, hear from Said Jahani, National Managing Partner of Financial Advisory at Grant Thornton as he discusses how COVID-19 is impacting the business world, diversification versus sticking to your knitting, investor appetite and the light at the end of the tunnel.