There has never been a more demanding and exhausting time for HR teams. The pandemic has forced millions of employees to work from home long-term. Organizations are faced with increased social responsibility alongside the need to support the mental well-being of employees. Meanwhile, HR teams must find and implement new alternatives to their traditional hiring, onboarding, talent development, and retention strategies, writes Renato Profico, CEO of Doodle.
More than eight months into the pandemic, many organizations have realized that their previous assumptions about remote work may not have been in line with reality. This has led major brands like Microsoft and Twitter to announce their decisions to allow indefinite remote working for their employees.
McKinseyOpens a new window ‘s research indicates that office space decision-makers expect the percentage of time worked in main offices will decline by 12% in 2021. And with no end to the pandemic in sight, HR teams certainly have their work cut out for them between hiringOpens a new window , onboardingOpens a new window , talent management, employee engagementOpens a new window , employee well-being, and employee retentionOpens a new window .
To stay agile, HR teamsOpens a new window will need to optimize their current processes to be more flexible and ready to adapt to changes with accuracy and speed. And as technology continues to lead the way forward (in arguably all aspects of life), HR teams will be well-served by leaning into the power of technology to lead the optimization process. This could be to ensure the hiring process works efficiently, that onboarding can be done virtually without any hassles, that employees can engage with fellow team members and managers, that employee feedback is shared easily, or more channels for employee communication are opened as remote working becomes the norm.
Enable the Safety of ALL Workspaces
While the pandemic has certainly demystified the conventional idea that office spaces are essential for employee collaboration and productivity, there’s no denying that timely information exchange can be affected by employees’ physical distancing. Thus, organizations need multiple digital communication channels with employees who are now distributed worldwide. This will also reduce the barriers to accessing information relevant to employees’ roles.
The role of technology in the remote workplace is clear, but what about companies that are returning (or intend to return) employees to the office?
It’s not only remote workspaces that will need to heavily rely on technology in 2021. Physical workspaces will need to continuously be redesigned to meet safety regulations, ensure physical distancing, and restrict movement in congested areas. HR may also go as far as introducing devices, such as fever screening technology, to ensure that everyone who enters the office is safe and healthy.
Allowing employees to return to the office in phases is easily the most effective way to mitigate risk and test different strategies for the reimagined workplace. Scheduling will undoubtedly continue to be a demanding task for teams who are adopting this approach, as individuals’ needs can vary greatly. For example, one employee may have an underlying condition, meaning that returning to the office is not an option. Alternatively, another employee may be dealing with loneliness and ideally wants to return to the office as soon as possible. Given the complexities of the world we currently live in, there is no hard and fast rule for how much time your employees should spend in the physical workspace.
In these situations, HR will need to rethink and optimize the way it plans for employees’ return to the office and their circumstances. Scheduling technology is an easy and effective way for HR professionals to coordinate the process of having employees return to their workplaces in a safe, highly organized, and efficient manner. This will also allow HR teams to create a “return to the office†strategy that is agile and malleable to the ever-changing COVID-19 regulations.
Learn More: Diversity Recruiting Strategies: 3 Long-Term Ideas to Power Your Workplace
Touch Bases and Meetings – It’s Time for a Comeback
Just because remote work is the new normal doesn’t discount or decrease the need for touch base meetings, one-to-one meetings with managers, and group feedback. I’d argue it’s needed even more now.
This is where HR teams play an integral role in educating managers on the importance of being more available for one-to-one catch-ups and impromptu chats with their direct reports. These meetings can go a long way in allowing employees to voice their fears, express their concerns, and even bring up their career goals (as those shouldn’t be silenced during the pandemic).
But what happens when an increase in virtual meetings leads to a decrease in productivity and an increase in stress? Attending 20+ video meetings in a week has, unfortunately, become standard for many employees right now. That’s just the reality of work-life these days. And it’s led to the growing problem of Zoom fatigue – when having too many virtual meetings in a single day becomes mentally draining and physically exhausting.
To prevent Zoom fatigue while still encouraging employees to meet with team members and managers requires a different way of thinking about meetings. According to our Q2 2020 State of Meetings reportOpens a new window , shorter meetings (under 30 minutes) are better. In fact, the most popular meeting duration in Q2 2020 was 30 minutes (36%), followed by 15 minutes (31%). So rather than simply assigning meetings with the default one-hour duration, HR teams will find increased engagement and attention in their meetings if they keep them shorter in length.
HR should take advantage of technology to simplify, automate, and optimize various processes. Think about the recruitment process, start, and the many candidate interviews scheduled for a single open role (let alone hundreds of open roles in larger organizations). Traditionally, HR teams have relied on email to coordinate with candidates, sending countless back and forth emails to each candidate (many of which are likely located in various parts of the world) to confirm their availability for each interview in the hiring process. If a scheduling tool integrates with video conferencing tools like Zoom and can make it much easier and faster to schedule candidate interviews while also reducing the likelihood of scheduling errors, it’s a win-win.
Companies are judged on the quality of their recruitment experience – excessive delays, errors, or even no-shows could negatively impact a company’s reputation as an employer.
Learn More: 6 Ways to Have Inclusive Virtual MeetingsOpens a new window
Break Down Barriers to Employee Well-Being
Burnout. Anxiety. Boredom. Loneliness.
It’s a harsh reality to face, but these feelings are there and won’t be going anywhere any time soon.
Mental illnesses were already a pressing concern well before the pandemic. The undeniable side effects of isolation and pandemic-related anxiety will only make mental well-being a bigger challenge for organizations in 2021.
Technology has undoubtedly been a saving grace in these trying times, with people spending more time in virtual hangouts, virtual happy hours, and virtual fitness/yoga sessions. So even though people haven’t necessarily been able to be physically next to their friends and family, video conferencing tools, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices have at least allowed people to see each other – even if it’s on a screen.
While the benefits of increased communication and collaboration can bring immense value to your employees’ well-being, this is no replacement for an employee well-being program.
Perhaps budget restrictions have forced employee benefits and wellness programs to be reduced or entirely cut. If this is the case, there’s no doubt you’re already fighting internally for these to be reinstated. When you consider how costly it is to replace employees (who leave voluntarily), then your case should be made stronger. Regardless, safeguarding the mental well-being of your workforce is not a nice-to-have. It must be woven into your larger talent acquisition, development, and retention plans.
All too often, digital tools have borne the brunt of the blame for increased mental health issues. This has a lot to do with the strain of being glued to digital and mobile devices, which pulls people away from interacting in the real world. Additionally, the pressures of conforming to unrealistic standards, cyberbullying, and shaming add to it.
But in the current pandemic, I would argue that digital tools could be instrumental for HR to help employees cope with the reality of the pandemic, tackle mental health issues, and improve their general mindset and attitude.
We recognize this at Doodle. So, we have now created a new HR benefit for all employees, whereby they receive a free annual subscription to the meditation and mindfulness app Headspace. For us, the decision was made because we know that every individual has their own systems for managing their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Mindfulness and meditation support can go a long way in alleviating the anxiety, stress, and fears they may be feeling.
Additionally, our Employee Culture Committee has also created a weekly online yoga session for all staff (voluntary) each week. For many employees who participate, it breaks up the busy workday often filled with projects, deadlines, and meetings. It’s also been a great source of relaxation for employees, who can then return to their work more refreshed and focused.
Not only does technology allow HR to find innovative workarounds for employee perks and well-being programs, but it also enables solutions that are adaptable to budget reductions. Virtual teaming bonding exercises, such as wine tastings or trivia nights, are both fun and cost-effective ways to connect physically distanced employees and boost overall morale. And there’s no arguing with the fact that it’s needed more than ever before.
Why do you think technology should be vital to your HR optimization strategy in 2021? Share your thoughts with us on LinkedInOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , or FacebookOpens a new window .