Covid FAQ

How is the Covid-19 pandemic affecting Chartwell?

Business

During the Covid-19 pandemic we were fortunate to be able to put our operational improvement skills to use in many key industries. We have been working with clients producing Covid test kits and intermediates for Covid drugs and continue to support our existing clients in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Our Asian work and some projects were paused during the height of the pandemic, but we were able to safely bring home and redeploy our staff. We are proud that we did not have to furlough or lose any staff due to Covid-19 and have continued all of our onboarding and recruitment.

Methodology

Self-isolation has made many organisations re-evaluate their internal constraints on remote working and methodology. Chartwell has taken this opportunity to investigate new methods of working, both internally within Chartwell and with clients. We are using technology to develop relations and promote collaborative working, even while being in different locations, and it has led to greater cross-office interactions. This has taught us that we can support our clients remotely and still deliver sustainable results. We have used some of the time to redirect consultant focus into updating our trainings and methodology to reflect this.

Consultant Travel

Project Travel: The safety of our consultants is our top priority and we continually update our policies based on government guidelines and local circumstances. During the pandemic, some consultants have been travelling to sites where appropriate and others have been supporting client work remotely. Travel arrangements and restrictions will always be discussed on a site-by-site basis to ensure we comply with government guidance and our internal safety measures.

Internal Travel: At the start of the pandemic we stopped all face-to-face meetings, running all internal meetings remotely. We have now resumed in-person meetings where appropriate, although we recognize that some of our internal structures have benefited from a remote working model. These policies are being reviewed continually to maintain the safety of our consultants and the culture of our company.

Social

Culture is very important to us and spending time with the diverse individuals that make up Chartwell is key to the wellbeing of our people. From the start of the pandemic, we have run online cross-office socials and a number of remote events including quizzes, new starter welcome events and even a Chartwell-themed escape room! We are excited to announce that we have been able to resume in-person social events in compliance with government and internal policies for those who are comfortable.

Recruitment

We have maintained planned recruitment and onboarding in all our offices throughout the pandemic. Our 2021 recruitment activities will include a mixture of online and in-person events and interviews – this allows us to reach out to more people from more diverse backgrounds and maximise accessibility and inclusivity. Please contact your local office to find out more about our current plans.