“I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day, you bet on people not on strategies.” – Lawrence Bossidy

If you ever wear a glove you will understand the role it plays. Depending upon the size of your hand, the glove too will shape itself.

It may sound arbitrary, but over the last few months, as the pandemic COVID-19 unleashed itself all across the globe, most of the people who are a part of the HR team have had to act like gloves.

HR is the front runner

In trying times like the current ones, almost everyone in the professional world has been forced to change the way they work and continue operations.

Just like our doctors and nurses are on the front line of the medical field, in the business sector the frontline players are the people from the HR field.

As the forefront of all core operations is set to change, it falls upon the HR team to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the company is able to adapt to all these swift changes.

Aspects of Focus

Since all organizations and their core strategies depend on people, it is understood that in the coming months and years post the COVID19 crisis, a lot is set to change.

Let us take a closer look at the ways in which HR will get revolutionized in the times to come.

Tech-driven Remote Work Ambience

Had technology not been such an integral part of our lives, probably the damage caused by the pandemic would have been magnified.

With the comfort that most organizations already had with remote work adaptability, it became easier for organizations to carry on working even from their homes.

With the sync being steady between the management and the employees, now a communication strategy and channel need to be established with the support and back-office functioning teams.

There are a few more things that HR will have to work upon in the coming days such as:

• How will the entire team imply the existing work rules on the virtual platform of work from home?
• How much of the job requirements will change as per the new normal of work from the home category?
• How will the performance and growth factor be monitored & measured during the work from home tenure?
• What sort of an impact will be created in the methodology of talent acquisition and hiring?

These are some of the solutions that HR teams would have to work on as the active business model resumes functioning.

Reskilling and cross-training

If you are aware of the term multitasking, well it is set to get an entirely new meaning now. With HR teams working to accommodate resources with all the budget cuts, the new way forward will be reskilling and training people so that they can work in the other departments as well.

You might have to transfer employees to the department where there is a requirement so that there are no shortfalls.

This might be a new skill that HR will have to work with considering they are the ones responsible for managing human assets in the team.

Finding the needle in the haystack

A lot of organizations are indeed downsizing, but the other stark reality is that many employees are voluntarily leaving as well.

At times like this, it will become a task and a half to ensure that you can find the right fit for the assigned task and are also able to retain your star performers.

Working with contractual and part-time employees and being open to hiring at different geographical locations is something that may need attention.

Ensuring health and safety standards

It’s a given that what makes this pandemic even more challenging is the fact that it sees no boundaries and barriers.

Even though your existing team is working from home, it is a new job requirement for the HR people to make sure that their company has in place strict health and safety measures.

Ensure all your employees are given medical cover and make them feel taken care of. After all, health is true wealth.

The HR roles & ways of delivering its KRA are surely undergoing several changes and the flexibility & agility of the HR team stand to test in these trying times.

It is time for each person to be open to learning new skills and aid the HR vertical to adapt to the new ways of working in the post COVID19 days.