Human resources (HR) professionals are currently facing more challenges than at any other time in history. A global health crisis, mental health crisis, layoff, and economic downturn, are just a few of the issues that HR professionals are working on. Unfortunately, it appears that this unruly period might continue, well into 2021. So, as we navigate a world that has been transformed by COVID-19 and begin prototyping new workforce models, some of the key challenges organizations need to address are:
1) Building competencies while working remotely
Keeping the current situation in mind, it probably will be unfeasible for several companies to return to the office. Hence, the prime focus should be on upskilling, remote monitoring, and succession planning. Last year we emphasized maintaining strong relationships who already were familiar with each other. However, now is the time to encourage new connections to flourish as it will lead to mentoring and skill-sharing partnerships.
A recent study conducted by Gartner found that about one-third of the skills that were acquired back in 2017 won’t be relevant in 2021. In addition to that, they found that peer learning partnerships push employees to begin using 75% of the new skills they have acquired. Coupling this with the hybrid work models presents an extraordinary challenge to leaders who are in charge of skill development for employees.
2) Enhancing operational efficiencies
The Covid-19 crisis made operational efficiency the primary indicator of a profitable business. Just when the pandemic erupted, some of the biggest companies broke down silos which lead to businesses removing boundaries such as slow-moving hierarchies to speed up decision making, encourage innovation, and use technology in a way that no one ever thought of.
The challenge now that HR professionals face is to hardwire operational efficiencies forged during the pandemic and convert them into new operating models. By doing so, it means you are adopting permanent structural changes that support sustainable processes, like:
• Flattening the hierarchical structure and imposing decision-making.
• Try to implement new technology tools that can help in employee assessment. Softwares that help organizations drive performance by aligning goals, operational plans, and nudging actions become a key investment in this context
3) Reconstruct the onboarding structure
The onboarding process has completely changed since 2020, so has the overall employee experience. New employees need opportunities and meet their team, and the following are a few ideas that can help you achieve that:
You can also share a detailed organization chart/ppt of employees so that new joiners can remember who is who. When new hires get to know their team members, they will end up feeling more engaged and loyal towards the company.
Final Note
Organizations and HR professionals need to move ahead from response to resilience and strategically plan their execution with the help of appropriate HR analytics tools. Here’s hoping that the above pointers provided you with some insight and will help solve challenges.
entomo is a modern performance management software built for the ‘future of work.’ Powering 30mn+ users, entomo enables ‘enterprises of tomorrow’ to drive performance. This can be done by aligning goals and nudging actionable insights. To know more, visit https://webuat.entomo.co/request-demo/
 professionals are currently facing more challenges than at any other time in history. A global health crisis, mental health crisis, layoff, and economic downturn, are just a few of the issues that HR professionals are working on. Unfortunately, it appears that this unruly period might continue, well into 2021. So, as we […])
