HR Challenges & Lessons Learned from COVID-19

Covid-19 has created unprecedented implications on companies around the globe and influenced human resource management profoundly. The Covid-19 crisis has created demanding conditions for human resource managers to respond and adapt to, in a very short period of time, and accordingly manage the workforce.

In every crisis there are things one must do and things one will learn. Identifying and implementing effective employee policies and support may vary by company and by culture. We are going to present some of the challenges that most companies and HR managers had to deal with and the key learnings from each.

Compliance

Regulatory compliance was always a hard task but usually there was enough time to adjust. Whether guidelines are coming from local authorities, the federal government, or the CDC, HR needs to stay on top of every requirement necessary.

In today’s environment, Businesses and HR professionals need to be ready to adapt on a day’s notice. They must make very difficult decisions regarding furloughs, layoffs and pay cuts and do all the paperwork. HR, accounting, legal and management need to be alert, be informed, collaborate closely, and act faster than ever.

What we learned: How to collaborate better and faster with different departments. Be more agile. Always keep learning

Adopting safety protocols

Safety comes first. Businesses are adapting to the safety measures required. Employees may face different health risks depending on the type of work they do, where they do it and their own health status.

It was crucial to ensure distancing, increase hygiene, provide protective masks and temperature checking employees and guests. Cleaning protocols and services are being stepped up. Guidance to staff members on how to keep surfaces sanitized and protect themselves and their colleagues as a part of the daily routine needed.

What we learned: To be more cautious with health and hygiene issues. Sick employees must stay home. Honesty can manage difficult times

Work from home

Managing remote staff has its own challenges. HR has now more than ever to ensure employee productivity, motivation, health, and wellbeing. Trust needed to be built either way. HR staff had to act and lead with agility, find new and creative ways to keep office culture relevant and remotely engage workers through increased use of videoconferencing, online happy hours and increased check-ins.

HR Teams had to react and adapt quickly to provide employees with the right remote working tools, train them and also gather real-time updates from them and offer support. HR has been playing catch up trying to find and adopt software to meet the need to work and ensure cybersecurity.

What we learned: Going digital. Remote work is doable. New ways to work together. The importance of spending time with your team. How to lead remotely. The meaning and the importance of flexibility and trust

Mental health, burnout and wellbeing

Self-isolation, lack of social contact, extra work, financial insecurity, general anxiety and not seeing loved ones have a negative effect on mental health. Identifying and helping employees with these issues turned out to be one of the top priorities on the HR agenda.

Emotionally healthy employees are happier, more engaged, and productive and are more likely to be retained. By trying to empathize and understand the issues that remote workers face, leaders can play a large role in maintaining the emotional health of their employees

What we learned: Each other better. Reacting with empathy. The importance of regular professional and personal interactions with our coworkers

Communication

Employees need to be constantly informed not only on what’s required of them and what you’re doing to assure their safety. They also need regular communication to feel connected to the business and in order to stay involved. HR leaders played an active role in collecting information from employees to ensure strategies developed met both organizational objectives and what employees most needed, wanted and valued.

It’s all about creating a transparent work environment that enhances trust. Explaining how the coronavirus is impacting the organisation and how such disasters can be planned to handle, helps put employees at ease.

What we learned: The need for regular communication with all of employees. Listening and paying attention even to the introverted ones. New channels of communication. Ask how you can help

Recruiting – onboarding

Unfortunately, many companies had to impose layoffs and hiring freezes, while others experienced a huge uptick in hires. Recruitment and onboarding had to be completely remote and digital. Video and phone interviews became the new norm. Recruiters adapted video-based situational questions and structured interviews to assess job applicants.

For newcomers it became crucial to ensure that they have the hardware, software, and office supplies needed and everything set up before their scheduled start date. Integrate the new employee into the team and business and have them feel comfortable and welcome became a team effort where HR, managers and coworkers played their part.

What we learned: To be more flexible and more organized. Use new recruitment and induction techniques and tools. Recruitment processes became shorter and decision making faster

This exceptional situation has essentially made the role of HR much more crucial and valuable to organisations. The COVID-19 pandemic shutdown allowed us to reevaluate our policies, procedures and systems and really come up with a new ways to work, communicate, learn and ensure the health and wellbeing of employees.

Necessity drives new behaviours, many of which are ones we can learn from and hold on to.

The question now is how these learnings will help us prepare for what comes next and how are we going to handle the new normal?