Covid-19 revealed how fragile even well-established work environments can be. In the course of a few weeks, businesses all around the country were closing shop for in-person work, and scrambling to find solutions that would allow them to remain productive during the pandemic.
HR Managers were and continue to be responsible for making sure productivity and employee wellness are both maximized no matter what is going on in the world. In this article, we look at what HR management does during a crisis.
What is HR Management?
First, what is HR management? The responsibilities of an HR Manager can vary significantly from day to day. They often handle hirings, and are responsible for improving employee retention, and making sure that everyone is well equipped to do their jobs properly. During a crisis, these responsibilities can become very complicated.
The Challenge
Unpredictability is a massive obstacle that any HR Manager will have to grapple with as they respond to a public crisis. Naturally, Covid-19 serves as a sign of how unstable and uncertain things can become at the drop of a hat. During the height of the pandemic, HR Managers had to:
- Reconsider workplace dynamics: In many cases, in-person work environments were not permitted or recommended against. Though not necessarily responsible for securing the technology that was used to pivot into remote work, HR Managers did have to make sure that everyone was acclimated, and capable of working in their new environment.
- Productivity Management: HR Managers were also there to improve employee productivity as they changed work environments. This may have meant fielding questions or concerns. It might also have meant connecting employees with resources that could help them succeed in their transition.
- Responding to rapidly shifting guidelines: Covid-19 guidelines changed considerably over time. As safety recommendations shifted, HR Managers were responsible for making sure everyone on staff was equipped with the understanding and resources needed to stay safe on the job.
- Fielding employee concerns: HR Managers were also there to address employee concerns. This could range considerably from fielding mental health concerns—the height of the pandemic saw levels of stress and depression skyrocket for many people—to addressing safety concerns. Covid-19 was significantly more dangerous for some people than it was for others. A good HR Manager was there to make sure that everyone was comfortable and safe doing their job.
Covid-19 is a once per century level crisis. While there is little reason to expect something with the same magnitude to happen again any time soon, there are other public crises-including Covid spikes from outbreaks and variants—that continue to shape the way HR Managers do their jobs. Below, we take a look at a few evolving responsibilities HR managers might experience when the chips are on the table.
Defining a Safe Work Environment
One of the first things an HR Manager might have to do in the event of a public crisis is secure a safe work environment. Naturally, the specifics of this will depend on the nature of the crisis. For Covid-19 it meant establishing mask and social distancing policies that would facilitate a safe and productive work environment.
While the HR Manager might not be responsible for writing the policies personally, they do serve as a bridge between the interests of the business, and those of the employees. Everyone wants to keep employees safe. The workers want their individual concerns to be heard, and the business wants to make sure productivity remains high.
The HR manager is there to listen, and help work on solutions that satisfy everyone’s needs.
Thinking Strategically About Personal Leave
During times of a crisis, the perimeters for personal leave may shift. Leave should always be granted in the case of personal or health-related emergencies. However, other situations, such as vacations, may need to be shifted during times of public crisis to avoid debilitating staffing shortages.
This was particularly in the educational and health sectors during the height of the pandemic. Staffing shortages were already rampant. People were quitting their jobs, while others were unable to go to work because of Covid-related quarantines.
In these situations, HR Managers were able to work with employees to help them find more mutually beneficial times to take their vacations.
During staffing shortages, the goal is not necessarily to discourage everyone from taking vacation days, but rather to keep employees happy, and the company itself productive.
Maximizing Human Capital Potential
Human capital refers to the various talents and duties that a business’s staff performs. Naturally, public health crises can serve as a significant threat to productivity and performance. The goal of an HR Manager is to maximize the potential of human capital. Or, in other words, to help people do their jobs as well as possible no matter what is happening in the outside world.
This is, of course, always one of the primary responsibilities of an HR Manager. However, during a crisis, how this is done can change considerably.
During the height of the pandemic, it meant listening to employee pain points and searching for solutions that would alleviate concerns, and help people get back to work effectively.
Being Proactive is Key
If there is one thing Covid proved, it’s that being proactive is key. No one could have anticipated what happened in the spring of 2020. However, it’s also true that some businesses were better positioned to respond to it than others.
Companies that had a well-developed tech stack could pivot quickly into digital solutions that facilitated a remote work environment.
Most businesses are now well equipped to pivot into remote work and adapt to ever-evolving safety standards and regulations. However, even though it is safe to say that businesses are better adapted for crisis management than they were before, being proactive remains key.
For HR Managers, this means making sure they have what they need to respond even to extreme situations. How can they maximize employee wellness and productivity in the event of significant staffing shortages?
Will they be able to adapt quickly to new technological requirements, or evolving employee needs? Having a ready answer to these questions allows HR Managers to do their jobs effectively no matter what is happening.
HR Future Staff Writer
