7 Challenges COVID-19 Has Brought To HR

2020 has brought a whole new set of challenges to the world, and no one could have imagined that this is how we would spend the year. While many industries have been affected negatively, HR professionals have certainly faced some new challenges and a sudden shift in a work culture that they could not have predicted or even prepared for. So what are these challenges, and how can you overcome them? 

Mental Health and Wellbeing

People all over the country have experienced stress, anxiety and loneliness due to the pandemic and organizations have been putting more of an emphasis on mental health and wellbeing over the past couple of years, the sudden COVID-19 outbreak has brought the employees’ mental problems in the forefront. Having employees working from home – some of who will live alone and hugely miss seeing people every day, while others could be struggling to share the kitchen table with their partner who is also working from home means that communication has been compromised. Yes, you can still email and pick up the phone, but it’s not the same as popping over to someone’s desk or chatting in the kitchen. Now you have to really ask if people are okay and how they’re coping and employees may be less forthcoming than they would over a casual chat. 

Managing Remote Work

The transition to remote work had to happen quickly, and not everyone was set up for it in terms of the technology or the culture. While HR managers wanted to make this a seamless transition for everyone, it hasn’t been that easy, and there have been many unforeseen problems with people working remotely. 

Redundancies

Redundancies are always going to be a worry but particularly now. No one wants to let their employees go, so it’s not nice for those who are losing their jobs or those who are having to make the tough business decisions. Using Unemployment Tracker is a way for your company to manage unemployment benefits and claims which can ease your workload somewhat. 

Lack of Agility

In HR, and especially in a crisis, it is critical to be able to respond fast and move quickly. 

This pandemic has led to ever-changing government guidelines and restrictions, many of which have been unclear. HR departments have had to act as quickly as they could sometimes be because these changes are company-wide; they haven’t had the agility to put them into place as quickly as they would like. 

Employee Communication

Communication is another major challenge, and although we have some great technology and tools like Zoom or Slack, which have been great for keeping the workforce going. 

Uncertainty

Uncertainty is daunting and worrying for everyone and not having the answers for your employees can be difficult for everyone. Employees are affected mentally by the uncertainty and not knowing what the future holds for them, and the HR teams are struggling to put everything in alignment. 

Employee Engagement

Ultimately, to keep your business thriving, you need productive employees, and while many people have reported increased productivity from working from home, it is a challenge to keep others engaged. It might be fine at first, but the longer the pandemic continues, the more distant employees can get. 

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