The pandemic has been in effect for the last two years, and the world saw a tectonic shift in its work culture. However, it was not glacial at all, and the HR lessons learned from COVID-19 were not at all insufficient.
These lessons have helped businesses worldwide to prepare for a tomorrow. The future could spell endless possibilities like remote working culture, permanent work-from-home initiatives, and telecommuting to a workplace. These concepts were never previously thought of but have become a part of our reality where nothing seems distant.
What should HR do after Covid-19?
Here are seven pivotal lessons HR managers learned during this crisis. These lessons will guide them in managing the post-pandemic workplace.
1. Working from a remote location is possible
HR management post-COVID outbreak has been all about tackling expectations and looking for creative solutions that involve handling employees.
Many top organizations had to work from remote locations, and working from home became the best way to tackle the pandemic. The HR managers have learned a valuable lesson that work can still happen away from the office if properly strategized and executed.
2. Morale boosting activities are essential
How has COVID-19 affected human resources?
There has undoubtedly been a drastic effect on the employees’ morale since most had to adapt to the work-from-home regime. It meant longer hours of work followed by little activities to bust the stress.
This aspect meant that the HR teams had to step up and deliver activities with which team building became better and morale remained up. This approach indeed reminded the HR managers to focus more on these activities than staffing and recruiting to lower the employee turnover.
3. Communication is the key
COVID and HR management have been all about finding better and direct ways of effective communication. In the absence of communication, work was getting lost midway since employees could not meet each other physically to discuss work.
Hence, HR drew flowcharts and communication patterns to ensure that none of the employees felt left out. It indicated that all would have hands-on experience when it comes to delivering during work. This strategy meant the frequency and number of meetings increased and separate scheduling of intra and inter-team calls.
4. Always prepare for the worst
One of the most crucial HR lessons learned from COVID-19 was the ability to adapt and prepare for the worst.
As the pandemic and government lockdowns hit, companies didn’t have ample time to prepare. Consequently, HR managers had too much on their plate to divert work and get results. Hence, a plan for the worst cases does not seem far-fetched.
5. One should have multiple plans
The role Of HR post-COVID has been to focus on plans to boost employee morale. Furthermore, HR has to make them feel connected without the physical touch.
Therefore, many esteemed HR managers have resorted to keeping multiple plans and visions for star employees and teams whom they wish to retain. While major organizations went with pay cuts to finance the operations, some companies did not enforce pay cuts as they wanted the lifeline of the organizations to have a normal lifestyle.
6. Invest in the right technology
What is the most important lesson every business can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic?
It will surely be to invest in the right technology to build an ecosystem for the future. For example, when governments imposed the first lockdowns, companies saw the need to own licenses for video conferencing applications for uninterrupted communication.
It also saw major companies implementing customer relationship management strategies to interact with their stakeholders in a better manner. Hence, investing in the correct technology became the bedrock of survival, and HR managers have learned a valuable lesson here.
Recommended Read: 45 Best HR Tools Every HR Professional Should Know About In 2021
7. Hire creative resources
There have been significant changes in HR policies due to COVID-19, and they have been crucial for survival.
While some companies focused on better initiatives for more work transparency, many Fortune 500 companies and influential start-ups went into a hiring spree. They believed that many talented resources were let go from their previous companies due to finances and retention issues.
This phenomenon meant many other companies actively took part in restructuring. That is why people believe that adversity is the foundation rock for innovation.
The Bottom Line
While these were some of the most valuable lessons learned from COVID-19, most education has been situational and circumstantial. It means that different problems require different solutions.
However, if these things could be learned and implemented in the future, we would perhaps avoid facing such an unprecedented crisis again.
