Human resource management, also known as HR as short form has been facing many different challenges. These challenges have started since the start of COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges are related more or less to health and well-being of the staff members. Hence, while their attitudes differ towards managing tasks and managing work remotely. It’s the sole responsibility of HR Professionals to address issues and concerns. These are related to employees in terms of their working patterns. Also addressing lack of agility means HR is responsible for fast work and quick decision making in times that are critical in terms of health & safety issues. Dealing with employee communication issues while they work remotely is one of the biggest challenges. Hence, the challenges that employees face during the remote working regulations being followed.
How working from home is so different from working from office in the modern days? This is entirely dependent on the work culture of an organisation that holds priorities for HR Professionals. Organisational behaviour is a key HR concern while addressing pandemic issues in COVID-19. Uncertainty and employee engagement are yet another key issues of the modern corporate world. These are issues that needs to be addressed during the pandemic COVID-19 by HR Professionals. Employee engagement aspects for internal communication and vital client communication can be problematic. Hence, if HR is not involved while working from home.
ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE:
The role of organisational culture in a company is vital for the company’s growth. Apart from this, its long term image and how to move forward respectively. HR plays a key part in the maintenance of organisational culture. Ironically, how to make improvements where there is room for improvement. HR Professional true performance is determined when they are able to maintain the organisational culture. A culture that can be a challenge while working remotely. It might not be the biggest challenge due to the reputation of the company and their working environment. However, it can be very important to be encountered with time. WHY time plays a significant role? A question asked by many HR Professionals. The simple answer is time is always the difference as an organisational culture is developed on the core bricks of discipline, and integrity.
MENTAL HEALTH & WELL-BEING:
Apart from the organisational culture, the biggest challenges for HR Professionals is addressing issues of Mental Health & Well-Being. How these issues can arise in employees while they are working from home also depends on nature and mental attitudes of the employees. Not every employee can work alone from home, as this can be the key attribute of those who are introverts. However, HR can play a very important role in balancing the attitudes of introvert’s vs extroverts so that they don’t have mental health and well-being issues.
Being humans, it’s the right of every employee to feel good from the mind and to have a good balance in their well-being. It’s purely related to the sudden shift in the work culture that can lead to well-being, Stress, anxiety and other mental health issues. While employees are working together in an office environment as a team, they know well how to address their challenges. It’s mainly related to the pulse of the employees that can understand each other issues technically and strategically.
HOW TO MANAGE REMOTE WORKINGS EFFECTIVELY?
Managing remote working in an environment of change is the key challenge of HR Professionals. They have to make sure that a remote working environment is created digitally and that environment is maintained unless remote working continues. However, before COVID-19 as well, remote working has been a regular norm that many companies have already adopted and are maintaining with success. That’s a key reason why HR’s biggest challenges is not maintaining remote working environment. Success is the key, and that will come from employee productivity and effective use of remote working tools. However, part and parcel of HR Challenges can be monitoring the employee productivity i.e. online performance evaluations and strict monitoring of the working hours.
LACKING AGILITY:
Lacking agility is the issue that can arise in employees while they are working remotely. This purely means that they have the ability to adjust but different working patterns and working with ease can make adjustment a difficult thing to achieve. That’s why HR professionals need to maintain strict monitoring while remote working is taking place to make sure that employees don’t get bored and lose interest in managing their tasks.
EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION:
An effective employee communication should be the priority of the HRD i.e. HR Department. They must know how to be proactive in achieving the communication milestones that are a necessity to be achieved while working remotely. The effective use of digital media tools that includes Skype, Zoom and Whats App for effective communication and achieving the minimum time frame standards. According to the international norms working remotely can be very effective under strict monitoring and good use of digital tools. It’s the digital environment that is indeed a breakthrough for many people.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT:
Employee engagement is not only a necessity but it is also a part of the modern organisational culture. Why it holds value? Significantly for minimising the communication gaps and effective team management. Employee engagement is also part of the HR Challenges as employees must always align their thinking with a positive mindset. ‘HRD’ must make sure positive attitude stays on-board more effectively than employee productivity. Positive thinking and goals management is indeed a key part of the modern work environment especially important during COVID-19.