An interview with Parvin Begum, Talent Acquisition/ Human Resources Manager, at Grant Associates in NYC.
Grant Associates, one of the largest workforce development organizations in North America, has been actively doing its part to stop the spread of COVID-19. From the early pandemic days of lockdowns and quarantines to current changing mandates and new testing and booster requirements, CrisisGo has been instrumental in helping Grant Associates navigate each step as it has unfolded. We talked with Parvin Begum of Grant Associates and learned 5 ways they have been effectively handling COVID-19 with the help of our innovative health management solution, Safety iPass.
Q1: Let’s think back to 2020. The pandemic hit and you were suddenly tasked with managing the health of your employees. How did CrisisGo help with this overwhelming situation?
A: Other than the safety of our employees, our second biggest priority was integration, as we wondered how we would manage the system if we brought in another product. It was important to us that we didn’t have to manually update all of the employees’ names every week as we often have new hires. We then found what we were looking for with CrisisGo’s Safety iPass through the ADP Marketplace, since you have a connector option. Using CrisisGo drastically streamlined the day-to-day management of COVID positive cases as the employee information was automatically synced. Because it was so efficient and easy-to-use with helpful tech support, we were able to keep our offices open.
Q2: How did you manage regulations that differed by location and also constantly changed?
A: We have the capability of adapting the CrisisGo system to local rules and guidelines based on individual state and HR policies. Being able to adapt so quickly with CrisisGo has been key to managing this pandemic. It can fit with any local regulation, mandate, or Grant Associates directive. We can define the right workflow and process for specific types of people.
Q3: How did CrisisGo help with keeping employee information secure?
A: When you are dealing with test results and vaccination records, you are dealing with medical records. With CrisisGo, we can maintain privacy on employee health info in one confidential system.
Q4: What have been the benefits of CrisisGo for employers and team leaders?
A: When an employee tests positive, the team leaders are notified on the CrisisGo dashboard. We were able to act early, with notifications sometimes coming in at 7 AM. We could easily pull up data and contact employees that were potentially exposed on a certain day and tell them to take proper precautions. Because of CrisisGo, we can spread news much more quickly and efficiently.
Q5: How is CrisisGo helping Grant Associates with pandemic efforts today?
A: We still have weekly screenings to monitor and deal with cases, which we manage through CrisisGo. We centralize all other COVID-19 related tasks such as vaccination and booster statuses and exemptions, and test results in CrisisGo’s single safety platform. Places like Washington, D.C. where we have a location are now requiring booster shots, so we can manage that with CrisisGo. Those that are exempt from vaccinations must still be tested and the data is securely monitored with CrisisGo.
The growth and success of Grant Associates is a testament to their philosophy: to be practical, sensible and inspirational. CrisisGo shares these values, and together we are making the world a safer place, no matter what obstacles come our way.
“As we were working through our new pandemic-related responsibilities, there were many different mandates coming out that we had to consider because we operate nationally. CrisisGo has been very flexible and accommodating, and the product itself is user-friendly.”
–Parvin Begum, Talent Acquisition/ Human Resources Manager, at Grant Associates in NYC.
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