Adapting the HR department

The role of your HR Department in the 'new normal'

The impact of Covid-19 on business has been far-reaching, affecting most areas of operations, and the role of HR is now greatly impacted as well.

How a company and its HR Department respond to a pandemic that no one was prepared for, will ultimately set the precedent on which their relationships with future new hires will be built, how their existing staff relations are managed, and ultimately, the company’s clients as well.

The role of HR has been impacted dramatically. HR Management teams’ roles have now shifted from being reactive, to proactive, and there is a new focus on a working environment they never ever imagined would become the norm. Where HR Teams have been conditioned to having instant, face-to-face, in-person access to their staff, it has now changed to scheduling a Zoom-meeting that suits everyone, a video conference via Teams® or a phone call.

Companies are mandating or encouraging their staff to work from home where they can with the resources they have. This means HR now needs to implement Training and Investment in remote working, which is something that is not completely new to everyone – it’s something a huge percentage of the working population have been motivated by in new roles for a long time. Now it is becoming something normal to all of us. Not everyone is comfortable working from home, knows

how to manage their time effectively at home to ensure productivity levels are maintained or are strong-minded in terms of staying motivated working at home. This is where HR needs to assist in providing training to employees on effectively working remotely and staying productive.

It’s like taking HR Managers out of their comfort zones and now forcing them to adopt new behaviours and processes using technology and the tools available to still enable them to do their jobs effectively.”

HR Managers are now having to see the company through the eyes of their staff and that there are some things more valuable to people than having to be in an office.

HR will have to employ a new working model that provides for a better work-life balance, looking at more flexible working hours, a remote working model and more ‘freedom of movement’ that is not pandemic-initiated. It will mean making sure their staff’s well-being is in check.

Online Employee portals are now more useful than ever where remotely based staff can log their queries online, directly to HR teams and have them addressed. Technology makes this possible and why not use it for what it is designed for.

Constant Communication and updates are now essential for HR Managers. They need to constantly keep their staff updated with any new developments which will continue to build trust and reassurance. Most HR Managers will now use the technology we have like messaging platforms, video conferencing, e-mails and podcasts etc. which will keep people informed and build trust, show empathy and true consideration and truly relate to people in a new setting.

HR Teams are also now going to need to use the crisis as a way to effectively help in redefining companies in terms of cross-training and skilling up their workforce as well as being able to rethink the assumptions regarding current business practices and re-inventing them to create better synergies with teams across the company. “It’ll form the basis for skills-based hiring, he up-skilling of current employees to meet job expectations in a remote-based working environment and a transformation in corporate learning and development.”

Talent mapping will now become more important than ever when it comes to hiring on skills and not pure Degreed credentials. There is a whole new skill set required that will see people working productively, and increasingly so, in the new working environment we have become accustomed to.

In terms of hiring practices, HR Management now need to get used to the new way of interviewing, all done using various platforms that bring people together in face-to-face real time meetings. They must ensure that the same practices are done as with in-person interviews to maintain effectiveness and consistency as well as thoroughness. “HR Managers will be forced to embrace technology for what it was intended.” Onboarding will also be done in this way and it is going to take a lot of getting used to, but it has proven effective, even now.

Companies will now no longer be using ‘face-time’ as a measure of their staff’s productivity – the focus will now shift on the actual results produced. HR will be a driving force behind their company’s Management teams now exploring how the element of remote working will become part of their culture to last for the foreseeable future.

It’s now time for HR Managers and their teams to lead in a crisis that has shown how resilient a workforce can be, and how adaptable to change their organisations are, or aren’t, and adjust their outlooks for what is now going to move from the ‘new normal’ to just normal.

Chantelle Smith is a Recruitment Specialist at HR Company Solutions, and is passionate about people and matching only the best talent with solid career opportunities. Visit www.hrcompanysolutions.co.za