The Role Of Your HR Department In The 'New Normal'

The impact of Covid-19 on business has been far-reaching, affecting most areas of operations, and the role of HR is now greatly impacted as well.

- Chantelle Smith

How a company and its HR Department respond to a pandemic that no one was prepared for, will ultimately set the precedent on which their relationships with future new hires will be built, how their existing staff relations are managed, and ultimately, the company’s clients as well.

The role of HR has been impacted dramatically. HR Management teams’ roles have now shifted from being reactive, to proactive, and there is a new focus on a working environment they never ever imagined would become the norm. Where HR Teams have been conditioned to having instant, face-to-face, in-person access to their staff, it has now changed to scheduling a Zoom-meeting that suits everyone, a video conference via Teams® or a phone call.

Companies are mandating or encouraging their staff to work from home where they can with the resources they have. This means HR now needs to implement