HR is recognized as much more than just a function that guarantees compensations are on time or handles issues in the workplace. The human resources department has evolved from “pragmatic” to “strategic.” In the new normal, HR’s role has become even more crucial. They are now the custodian of organizational and employee safety, including the well-being within and outside the virtual workplace.
HR departments had to refine their dynamic organizational capabilities to keep up with rapid, unanticipated workplace changes, most notably a significant shift to remote work. HR had to adjust to evolving corporate environments and find new ways to work efficiently and establish new priorities. Furthermore, the priorities have turned to more significant matters such as employee wellness, digitalized workflows, a solid organizational culture, and sustainable performance management. Human resource management has always been responsible for this, but this obligation has gained new importance of late. HR leaders, in particular, must now pursue the following critical priorities to thrive in the new normal:
1. Enable Efficient Remote Work Arrangements
As it becomes evident that remote work will remain a part of the new normal, HR should continue to develop and improve the mentoring, procedures, and support available to remote workers. It includes establishing a stipend to subsidize home office setups while managing cybersecurity, confidentiality, and security. HR leaders must develop ways to promote flexible work solutions in the future, maintain open communications, and stimulate virtual cooperation. Digital recruiting and remote onboarding will also become increasingly crucial in the process.
2. Nurturing Employee Well-Being
Employee health and well-being have emerged and will continue to be HR’s top priority. Although many businesses provide support through employee assistance programs and wellness education initiatives, not all employees are aware of or use these services. It will be up to HR to raise their visibility through increased communication and, if needed, add or expand essential offerings to ensure that employees and managers have access to the services and resources they require to care for themselves and contribute to their teams.
3. Develop and Enhance Company Culture
Cultivating a strong, positive culture is even more crucial now that many employees work remotely without in-person supervision, guidance, or accountability. Companies must be guided by established principles to survive an economic downturn. The workforce must understand which values should guide their actions. When members work from different places, it is imperative to have a supportive and consistent corporate culture. HR can help to strengthen and develop a strong culture by improving internal communications, implementing essential employee engagement techniques, and providing leaders with the skills they need to support learning and empower their people.
4. Facilitate Effective Communication to maintain Employee Engagement
HR must use data-driven communication tools and methods to understand the workforce better and enable more efficient communication. Regardless of where they work or the work environment, it is essential to have clear communication to keep employees engaged. HR software systems can be game changers since they can determine what is and isn’t working with their approach to communicating with a diverse workforce, allowing for innovation and quality improvement.
5. Using Workforce Analytics to enhance Data-Driven Decisions
HR can utilize workforce analytics to assess employee experience, commitment, and satisfaction. To remain competitive in today’s complex business world, organizations should continue to use analytics to estimate workforce requirements, optimize revenues, and minimize expenditures. In addition, they should rely more on analytics to analyze and monitor staff performance and productivity.
6. Strengthen Physical and Mental Health Initiatives
With remote work, HR departments should focus on employees’ physical and emotional wellness. A crucial issue to solve in the future will be online fatigue or a feeling of isolation. To mitigate these concerns, the HR department should strengthen its mental health initiatives and foster encouragement and support.
7. Promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Working from almost anywhere will create more employment opportunities for diverse cultural individuals from across the globe. As a result, HR must consider how teams with varying backgrounds may collaborate efficiently and effectively.
Because of the pandemic’s economic implications, businesses have been compelled to restructure and adapt to the new normal to stay afloat. To fulfill organizational needs, HR functions must adapt and transform across all aspects of the HR lifecycle. Furthermore, HR will need to identify new strategies to assist business leaders in reshaping the company in the new normal, implementing workforce reduction measures, managing the risks associated with such interventions, and boosting employee engagement and productivity. It is critical to respond and be resilient in this fast-paced business landscape.
