social-recruiting
The Role of Human Resources in a Post-COVID-19 World
HireHive Team
HireHive
HireHive Team
HireHive
HireHive Team
HireHive
HireHive Team
HireHive
COVID-19 has changed the world and we won’t see what we consider normal for a long time, if ever. While some countries are in recovery, others are still struggling with rising cases. Businesses had to pivot, often without any preparation, to keep their employees safe and working from home. So how has the novel coronavirus changed the role of HR? And what does the role of HR look like in a post-COVID-19 world?
Many jobs that weren’t remote before are now and that’s not going to change any time soon. Companies are seeing the benefits of having employees work from home. And some employees love not having a commute or the distractions of the office.
HR managers will need to adjust their roles as well to accommodate employees working remotely. This will include several aspects, including employee engagement, talent acquisition, and legal compliance, which we will look at below.
Remote workers can easily feel disconnected from office culture when working from home, so HR can work on improving employee engagement from a distance. You need to make sure they feel like they belong by reinforcing their connection to company values and one another.
You can’t automate company culture, but you can facilitate increased engagement. Use online tools, such as Zoom, for employee and team meetings as well as chat apps, like Slack, to create channels for coworkers to engage each other. HR can be the driving force.
When you show your team that you’re on their side and that the company wants to reduce their stress levels, not add to it, you’ll encourage employee loyalty for your remote workers. Think creatively about perks that will keep your team healthy and engaged at home.
Unemployment rates skyrocketed in a lot of countries as businesses changed gears suddenly in early 2020. That means hiring will need to be adjusted for many companies. Some talent pools you may not have fished from before are now the best place to find people who understand the new normal.
For example, if you haven’t worked with contractors in the past, now is a great time to engage them. They are familiar with working remotely, can focus on the project, and understand that roles may be short term.
You also need to adjust your hiring processes so more of it can be done online without face-to-face contact. Online applications, virtual interviews, and onboarding paperwork with e-signatures can help improve the applicant and new hire experience in light of the novel coronavirus.
Managing a remote workforce will also require different legal compliance. Specifics regarding labour laws will depend on your country or state, but HR will be the key to maintaining this compliance.
You will want to look at current policies like paid time off, sick leave, and family leave. Where can you make improvements, especially for workers who are now at home? You also need to ensure that your remote working policies are compliant with the local labour requirements.
Using a system that can help you keep track of compliance and the hiring process will be a big step in the right direction. Learn more about HireHive today.
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Hilary Dempsey Head of HR at Life Credit union
