Amidst all these rapid changes, the pandemic has forced many companies to realise that HR is the core of any well-functioning operation.

The last year has been filled with unpredictability, wherein businesses large and small have experienced serious disruption – for good and bad. Some organisations have been severely impacted and have experienced a reduction in the revenue and profit, widespread redundancies and pay cuts. While many businesses in the ecommerce and technology space have witnessed a boom. 

The financial and job security among employees in India has also been shaken due to  the COVID-19 pandemic, but their outlook on the world of work in the years ahead remains broadly positive, reveals the ADP® Research Institute’s People at Work 2021: A Global Workforce View.

Amidst all these rapid changes, the pandemic has forced many companies to realise that HR is the core of any well-functioning operation.

Looking forward, agility becomes the need of the hour and it is important to ascertain how important HR is in ensuring the well-being of the organisation and its employees. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an accelerator for change. So, is it expected that the changes in the workplace are likely to stay.

We have identified out five key ways in which COVID-19 has shifted the priorities for HR and how these can be embraced by companies in 2021 and beyond: 

1. Learning and development has to go on in new shapes and forms

 A recent Gartner survey of learning and development leaders, found that 71% said more than 40% of their workforce has needed new skills due to changes to work brought in by the pandemic. 

To adapt to the new normal it is important to learn new things relevant to each of our respective businesses and develop for the betterment. The greatest benefit of learning and development in a digital workplace for employees lie in its knowledge management capabilities. In this new digital way of working, learning and training materials can be stored in the company's system and made accessible for immediate use by all employees.. The latest LinkedIn’s Future of Talent Report of 2021 states that upskilling will be core to the talent strategy. Furthermore, trends such as internal mobility, data-led hiring decisions and enhancing employee experience will be a main focus for employers moving forward. 

2. There are new health and wellbeing challenges

We live in a world filled with stress, anxiety and often discomfort. With an ongoing pandemic, organizations have realised ensuring employee wellbeing physically and mentally results in  a more productive and engaged workforce. Working from home has been blurring work/life balance for many. What’s more taxing are those employed in particularly vulnerable industries, such as hospitality and tourism, job insecurity is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Thus the HR function of companies now more than ever needs to implement measures for employee wellbeing. Actions HR leaders should take now, if they haven’t already, include: 

• Creating a safe and comfortable working environment as a lot of employees are working from home, including leave and healthcare entitlements.
• Training leaders on how to manage their teams remotely – this is a new territory for many, and while the output may be similar, it’s a completely different way of working. HR needs to ensure the training and skill requirements of leaders for smooth working. 
• Reimagining employee wellbeing policies and working practices to reflect the new workplace set up. 

A recent report by McKinsey states that 62% of the employees worldwide consider mental health as a top challenge. Furthermore, a recent research paper titled  ‘Mental Health and Psychosocial Aspects of COVID-19 in India: The Challenges and Responses highlights that the COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to problems similar to depression, post-traumatic stress, behavioural disorders, domestic abuse and other serious challenges. Today, organisations have identified the need to build mental resilience in their employees as a key component of their organisational strategies. 

3. Digitisation and digital learning in Indian workplaces

The need to redefine business models and transform operations to meet the ever-evolving requirements of the new work landscape has driven disruptive digital adoption in organizations as they look to leverage technology to navigate the challenges of remote work, subsequent lockdowns, and social distancing. Working from home (WFH) will be the new normal for many organizations in the post-pandemic era. Technology will play a pivotal role in ensuring business and operational continuity. As a result, organizations will need to strengthen their digital capabilities so they can thrive and stay competitive in a fast-changing business landscape. 

Digital transformation offers many benefits, from streamlining processes and increasing efficiencies to driving innovation and facilitating customer-centric products and services. However, to appreciate the full benefits of technology, it is not enough to just adopt digital operations – a full mind-set shift is required. Creating a digital culture where each employee is an equal and willing participant is a powerful way to ensure a successful digital transformation. 

4. CHROs help weather the unknown storm

The Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) are witnessing disruption amidst a crisis like never before. It is expected that the CHROs will lead the change and are now rethinking their people strategy, to future-proof their organisations for unknown challenges on the horizon. Today, adaptability to digital disruption is the need of the hour. It is imperative for the CHROs to start planning and preparing for the next disruption. The scale might vary and it might not be on the scale of a global pandemic, but preparing for the unexpected is where CHROs prove their value.

 In the year 2021, CHROs will emerge as trusted advisors as businesses restructure to plan for shifts in their landscape. The role of the CHRO during the pandemic has been similar to that of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) during the Global Financial Crisis – the decisions they take or influence can make or break the whole organization.

5. Communication has never been more important

In this pandemic being virtually connected with our team has kept each employee going. Communication has kept employees engaged and motivated. The right communication strategy has been critical during this pandemic. The focus has been to understand how people are doing, what are the challenges they have been facing on the work front and their personal lives. To be updated on what's going on in the business and an accessible and present leadership brings comfort for employees. Checking in on remote employees is a winning strategy.

There are various tactics that one can adapt to keep in touch with their teams:

• Notices and newsletters: They play a dual role in disseminating key updates and information as well as acknowledging achievements. It is always imperative to celebrate victories and success.
• Ascertain feedback through surveys: Give teams the opportunity to share feedback on what struggles they are facing and on which solutions could be provided. 
• Making communication easier through technology: Real-time chat applications and project management software have transformed the workplace, in the year 2021 many of the fundamentals of HR will stay in place but the delivery or the focus has shifted. 
• Importance of Learning and Development:  Training is taking place in a new manner and looking at health and wellbeing of teams is of utmost importance. It is the right time to cement the role of HR as one of the important cogs in the business machine. Transparent and consistent communication models are paramount. 

(The opinions expressed in this article have been written solely for BW People publication, by : Peter Hadley, President, Asia Pacific of ADP.)