Founder's Insights: How AITHERAS is Tackling the COVID-19 Pandemic with a Modern Workforce
by Andrew Huh
In this article, AITHERAS founder Andrew Milisits shares his thoughts on why AITHERAS is uniquely positioned to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and pave the path for the modern workforce. COVID-19 has forced countless businesses to drastically overhaul their business practices, with many businesses forced to move virtually or shut their doors entirely. A recent survey conducted by Deloitte showed that 46% of business executives expect a reduction in performance targets in 2020.
1. Current Outlook
AITHERAS hasn’t skipped a beat during the pandemic, thanks to a movement towards the virtual workspace that began years ago. When asked about the changes that AITHERAS had to make to accommodate the pandemic, Andrew answered, “AITHERAS has been moving towards the cloud and automation space for years. When you look at our footprint, although we have 50 employees and consultants, there may be only 4-5 people in the office at once and it’s been that way for years.” While many workplaces have had to scramble to accommodate virtual meetings and communications, AITHERAS has been working at this for years.
This gave AITHERAS a tremendous opportunity and advantage when the pandemic struck. “When all of this hit, we were in a position with our clients and security clearance, that we were a trusted partner and they were going to trust us to work offsite. The impact to us because of that, was quite minimal in a lot of ways,” Andrew said, referring to AITHERAS’ client relationships.
Due to AITHERAS’ ability to quickly adapt to the changing business landscape, the company was still able to pursue progressive business ventures amidst the pandemic. This includes developing a new joint venture cybersecurity company, CyWall, with BashTell, another leader in the IT space. This new venture has a particular focus on the new CMMC requirements required by Department of Defense contractors. AITHERAS is also pursuing the 8(a) STARS III opportunity, a small business set-aside contract. These opportunities are just a few examples of how AITHERAS is continuing to produce, even amidst a global pandemic. It also highlights the importance of businesses evolving their work style to encompass digital & virtual work styles to accommodate inevitable economic and technological changes that are likely to continue for years to come.
2. Future Outlook
When asked about AITHERAS’ future, the pandemic was understandably the first thing on Andrew’s mind, “We’ve been able to weather this part of the storm, but remember that we are still in the eyes of the storm. People say the worst is yet to come, but we are not out of the worst.” Despite the challenges of COVID-19, AITHERAS isn’t getting complacent. One area that AITHERAS is looking into is automation. “ A lot of people say that automation is going to take away jobs,” Andrew says, “but it will also create a lot more jobs in industries which require those skills.” As we move deeper into the heart of the pandemic, AITHERAS remains committed to providing additional training opportunities to remain at the forefront of innovation.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a paradigm shift in the American workplace, and it will have lasting impacts for years to come. In order for a business to not only survive but thrive, adaptability and innovation is key. In Andrew’s opinion, “it’s those who follow the signs and see the changes who are better prepared [to tackle tomorrow’s challenges]”.
Experts are predicting that workers who were temporarily forced to work remotely may end up moving off-site permanently, with no clear end to the pandemic in sight. As companies adjust to the post-COVID-19 workspace in the coming years, there will be struggles that come with remote meetings, work-life balance, and communication. However, these challenges can be alleviated by shifting focus to think outside the box, developing a digital transformation strategy, re-focusing on the mission and purpose behind your work, and seeing these changes as opportunities and not setbacks.