The epidemic crisis linked to covid-19 calls for profound changes in the HR function. Indeed, the new organizations disturb the benchmarks in the professional world and the current situation must then be the occasion to rethink the management of human resources in order to reinvent itself. How should she go about it? Zoom on the potential future methods of organizing the HR function!
Health crisis: a new HR management!
Even if during the first confinement in March 2020, the HR function took time to set up a new work organization, during the second, it was able to show inventiveness to redefine its priorities. Indeed, the challenges of the HR function in the face of this unprecedented crisis are great and to meet them, it must reinvent itself by opting for new methods of management and support for employees.
Now, the time has come for business leaders and HRDs to review their fundamentals. In general, they must update their HR policy in order to take into account current and future developments. Note that the HRD has become an anticipator, a negotiator as well as a visionary!
Also, the HR function must take into account the employee experience which will evolve in future years because the health crisis will show the real capacities and levels of resilience of organizations. If the latter wishes to stay in the race, it will need:
- Reimagining skills management
- Identify the levers of flexibility
- Sustain the new ways of working
- Preserving the health of the teams
Finally, it is also up to them to review their “financial education” if they still want to have committed employees! Moreover, at the end of this crisis, 56% of French companies specified that a skills deficit will weigh on their competitiveness.
Health crisis: assess the profound human changes to come!
The current period is the right time to thoroughly rethink the managerial model. The HR function must strengthen its role of proximity in a constrained environment to maintain a link, a commitment and provide support to the teams. It is up to him to develop the capacity of managers to think and design change by becoming flexible and resilient.
The entire managerial model must be reviewed to encourage taking a step back, the ability to build real HR strategies and generate even more support and trust. It can, for example, set up individual coaching for managers.
The HR function must also focus on the adequacy of skills. New models of recruitment and skills development must therefore be put in place. Regarding “soft competencies”, the most sought after will primarily be decision-making, agility, leadership and creativity.
Finally, making the well-being of employees a priority by training managers in emotional intelligence must be one of the priorities of the HR function. She must also pay attention to psychosocial risks because mental health is as important as physical health.
Health crisis: support employees by making communication a primary issue!
Communication remains a major challenge for the HR function and social dialogue must be privileged. She is on the front line in the coordination of crisis communication and the way of communicating sometimes has to be questioned. It has become an anchor point to give visibility to dispersed and anxious employees.
In addition, information control is crucial to reassure employees. In this rather difficult period, uncertainty remains but should not weaken them. Thus, communication cannot be done on the go! Employees are looking for authenticity, it is necessary to adopt a more fluid and participative communication. Suggestion boxes and internal surveys can be carried out, for example.
A communication strategy must be put in place and the companies that will stand out from the crowd are the ones that will bet on communication. And they are doing well! Because the cause and effect relationship between the quality of internal communication, employee motivation and productivity no longer needs to be demonstrated.
Finally, the HR function must give visibility and prepare for the “after” by affirming, for example, social and societal commitment. Putting employees to work to build their vision of returning to the office must be the main issue. It must imperatively learn the lessons of the crisis on the role and organization of the HR function.
Note that for some companies, it will be a little more complicated than for others!
Ultimately, the HR function must more than ever be at the service of people, for better or for worse. It should be noted that the psychology of work will certainly take more and more place in the years to come. Hopefully she will know how to do it and that she will be given the means to access it. And you, how do you currently go about it with your HR teams?
If you need advice, on a new work organization to rethink , feel free to Contact us .
Our HRD in timeshare will be happy to advise you and assist you in the implementation.
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