The pandemic has changed the role of CHROs for good. Here is why

Coronavirus has changed the reality of C-suites all over the world. But in the case of CHROs, the crisis has revolutionized their role in organizations. Going back to where we were will not be an option. So how do we find our feet in the new reality?

During coronavirus pandemic, the role of CHROs could’t be overestimated. At a time when new risks and second thoughts have emerged practically overnight, they had to create a new work culture, maintain morale, and empower their employees. And this was a massive task. The CHROs who dealt with it while avoiding harming staff performance have gained not only a new set of skills but also new responsibilities and duties.

Studies by Alexander Alonso, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP showed
that CHROs who focus on the results, reconnaissance, resourcefulness and
reimagination succeed and manage to prepare the company for inevitable changes.
As a result, the role of HR teams has increased and transformed, reaching a new
status quo. However, to maintain the performance at the high level, CHROs need
to stay focused and be especially aware of changes in these key areas: 

The organizational
model

Remote work was a
growing trend well before the pandemic. According to Gallup’s “State of American Workforce
2017” report, the number of people working remotely rose between 2012 and
2016 in all studied groups. A similar study from 2019 showed that 43% of all
U.S. employees work off-site at least part of the time.

Nevertheless,
Covid-19 forced leaders to create organization models based on working from
home. Social isolation has proven that many duties may be carried out from home
without harming quality or efficiency. And not all employees are missing the
office. As a result, for some organizations, remote work might remain as a
permanent feature. For this reason, CHROs need to develop and implement new
rules. As Tim McElgunn noted in “HRMorning”, there are many burning
questions to answer right now. For example, how will managers translate
existing work rules, meeting schedules, and communications strategies to the
new reality? Who will pay for remote workers’ connectivity and any required
equipment? And even more important: how should an organization build and
implement a long-term employee recognition strategy for remote workers?

Of course, not all
workers will want to stay at home. Some of them will be happy to be back in the
office. Nevertheless, that makes the situation even more complicated. When we
all shake off the pandemic shock rules, HR teams will need to create new
procedures, to find a balance in new normal.

Hiring and talent
management

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many companies have halted their recruitment processes. In an earlier article on the IMSA Search blog, board member Lizette Ibarra explained why this was not the best choice (link). Nevertheless, some organizations have decided to freeze hiring. Now they must unfreeze their search, which is not without difficulties, especially if the company went through some fundamental changes and staff cuts.

Head-hunting was
never a piece of cake. The task of a recruiter is to find a perfect talent who
possesses knowledge and experience but also shares company values. The process
is always complicated and time-consuming. And now it becomes even more
challenging. Candidates are cautious 
about their choices, and post-pandemic company structures are just
developing. This means that, in some cases, it may be difficult to predict who
might be the best fit for the organization.

As if it was not
enough, HR team members need to remember about top talents already working at
their company. Not only talent acquisition but also retention remains a
critical task. Employees need to be recognized and engaged, no matter if they
are working remotely or dreaming of going back to the office.

How can we achieve
this? Sarah Kirby, Group Head at Zurich Insurance Group has shared some advice
for the World Economic Forum. She encourages leaders to:

• Build a culture of trust, transparency, and openness. “This period has required us all to be supportive of one another, as we all face uncertainty. Control has to some extent given way to trust. People are learning how to do work disparately and with far less oversight: they are learning ‘on the job’ what works and what doesn’t work at home”. HR teams should support this process and assure good practices inside the company.
• Maintain individual and social wellbeing. “The pandemic and lockdown are putting pressure on employees in ways that not only test their wellbeing and private lives, but also that of our society. The World Health Organization recently found that 45% of health workers in China are suffering from anxiety” points out Kirby. Caring for the workers’ wellbeing is one of the most important challenges for HR teams right now. After the pandemic, they need to stay focused and pay attention to the employees’ emotional health.

Meeting all these
needs and challenges is an exhausting job. To avoid chaos, CHROs need to be
creative, decisive, empathic. And they probably should find their own work-life
balance, too. “You need to walk. You need to sleep,” said Arianna
Huffington, founder of news site The Huffington Post. Especially now.

Rebuilding a
corporate culture ASAP

If CHROs have so far
failed in preserving their business culture, they should act right now. The
corporate culture needs to be rebuilt as soon as possible. And as Tim McElgunn
noted: “Employee engagement, constant communication and demonstrated
commitment to your culture by leadership are the only tools that will work.”

A well-defined
organizational culture is critical for long-term success. This is easy to say,
but how you turn it into practice in (post)pandemic, volatile times is another
matter. And as last months have shown, culture is vulnerable in times of
crisis. With financial problems on the one hand and structural changes on the
other, it is easy to put organizational values, mission, and identity aside.

Nevertheless,
Covid-19 crisis seems to have some positive outcomes. It has forced leaders to
operate in a more agile way, which will probably benefit in the future. As
Kirby points out, “Business leaders now have, in some sense, been gifted
with a better idea of what can and cannot be done outside their companies’ traditional
processes, and COVID-19 is forcing both the pace and scale of workplace
innovation. Many are finding simpler, faster and less expensive ways to
operate.”

Agile management may
be the new norm, which will promote and value human communication and
feedback, adapting to change, and producing working results,. The ability to
identify a problem and act proactively will be the hallmark of the top talents
in this industry.