The old adage of spinning crisis into an opportunity has never been more apt
The old adage of spinning crisis into an opportunity has never been more apt than in the case of COVID-19 and HR.
As we move into 2021, HR practitioners should be considering how to spin the last 12 months and use it to leverage the function.
HRD spoke to Dr Jarik Conrad, senior director, human insights & HCM evangelism at Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG), who revealed the key lessons employers should have learned through COVID-19.
“The good news from a human resources standpoint is that businesses have learned just how valuable HR is,” he told HRD.
“HR leaders have been thrust into the spotlight. They've had to try to figure out how to ensure that we keep business going in this new world of work.”
Switching to remote work was a natural pivot for many organizations – however, it does pose its own unique set of issues.
For senior leadership, there was anxiety around productivity, morale, and connectivity. This is where HR really had to step up and reassure leaders that this was the only way to save the business.
“The C-Suite is finally starting to realize the value of HR and HR leaders – but even now we’re only just scratching the surface,” added Dr Conrad.
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“It's a tremendous opportunity for HR professionals to leverage this moment of fame and turn it into a long-term opportunity.
“As part of our MegaTrends 2021, UKG looked at life-work synergy. It’s important for employers to look at how integrated employees’ lives have become and enable employee to work in the best ways for them.
“Another aspect we look like is the rebirth of HR. HR leaders need to look in the mirror and re-invent themselves to take advantage of this window of opportunity.
“We have to modernize HR in some way. We still use some antiquated terminology, like human capital, which needs to go. By making some internal changes we can help the organization go further as a whole.”