How HR Leaders Are Building A Strong Work Culture Amidst Disruption?
Talent management is radically different from last year. The first wave of COVID-19 made several organizations reach a grinding halt that brought unpredictable changes within the initial month of the lockdown. There was a complete hiring freeze as well as massive layoffs that transformed the talent and recruitment functions across sectors. According to a market report, there was a 62 percent decline in hiring activities in April 2020 due to the nationwide lockdown. However, the scenario is completely different this year. The impact of the lockdown in the second wave of COVID-19 is less severe on the job market with almost negligible layoffs.
Despite being an unprecedented year, 2020 brought major organizational changes into practice. With more and more companies are realizing the need for being digitally present, the second wave of COVID-19 resulted in major investments into technology adoption and adding more staff. Additionally, to get through smoothly, talent leaders and HR managers reimagine HR practices to build resiliency and drive value in the organization. This requires a holistic approach to fight the second wave of the pandemic and implement plans to return to offices in aningenious manner.
Further, HR teams are focusing majorly on crafting a robust talent management strategy that is backed by several technological trends prevalent in the industry.
Vaccination drive at workplace
COVID-19 pandemic is a human health crisis and the only way to beat it is by vaccinating each citizen of the country. Many organizations in the UK and other international countries have already started implementing a ‘no jab, no job’ policy to ensure a safe and protective environment at the workplace. Recently, the Indian government has also announced its decision to allow organizations to organize vaccination drives for their employees that can further be extended to their family members. This sort of practice helps employees come back to the workplace stronger and braver. As per the government, private organizations will need to tie up with private hospitals to procure vaccine doses.
Nurturing genuine relationships
The second wave of COVID-19 has presented the country with unprecedented challenges. Many employees have lost their loving ones and it is emotionally and mentally draining for them to return to work. The companies are understanding their foremost responsibility to be kind to employees and help them deal with the tragedy with empathy. The talent leaders and HR managers are working on ways that let seniors reach out to their team members and extend emotional support rather than reaching out to HR teams to show their human side. This could be adopted as a regular practice of sending an encouraging email, sharing precautionary tips or ways to manage work-life like a leader. This will result in replacing superficial networking with genuine relationships at work.
Implementing hybrid work model
The onset of the pandemic has transformed almost every business organization in countless ways. Many aspiring organizations have adopted digital tools and technologies to implement a virtual working model. Going forward, companies are gearing up to adopt hybrid working models to reduce the further spread of the virus. The hybrid approach allows a percentage of employees to work on-site while others continue to operate remotely. The new generation work model will make companies focus on managing their business from the cloud, thereby generating demand for investing in technology and hiring more staff.
Aligning employees with a clear business vision
When any big course of event like COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown hits, the leaders have to make hard business decisions to cope with market conditions. This needs to be followed by the approach of creating a clear and bold vision at work. The talent teams are considering this as an inspiring step to build resiliency in employees. Initiating from conveying the business vision in a compelling manner to helping the employees know their purpose in the organization retains employees fascinated with the booming trend of gig jobs.
Embracing digital tools
To create a seamless hiring function, companies are considering digital enablement. Talent leaders and managers are capitalizing on advanced technology tools to infuse strategies in recruitment and other employee-related functions. Integration of advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Analytics, etc is anticipated to bring positive changes in the talent and recruitment industry. One of the most interesting ways includes the use of strong data analytics that helps HRs attract people with the right competencies and manage the talent efficiently.
Takeaway
The last year’s wave of COVID-19 pandemic already made people familiar to work in the new normal environment. However, the ongoing second wave presented a chance to create new ways of implementing the new normal strategies. Companies are now paving the way to transformation while boosting employee relationships. The effectiveness in shaping the sector post-pandemic is projected to introduce new ways of building a strong and engaging work culture.
(The article has been attributed to Ms. Yogita Tulsiani, MD & Co-founder, iXceed Solutions and has been solely created for BW People publication)
