Be it hiring, renewing policies, or embracing digitisation — the HR world has seen its own challenges.

As the pandemic tightened its grips and left marks everywhere, it was no less cruel to the corporate world and HR professionals. Through mass layoffs and high attrition rates, HR was expected to keep their morale up and cheerfully carry on. Be it hiring, renewing policies, or embracing digitisation — the HR world has seen its own challenges. This shift has also opened a discussion of bettering HR practices and finding new ways to support the working staff.

Online hiring

With the shift from offline workspaces to remote working, recruitment and hiring teams had to take a different approach to find and hire the right talent. This necessitated greater use of automation, AI, and machine learning. As workplaces become more digital, recruiters need to quickly adapt to technology and online platforms. With 70% of companies planning to digitise their recruitment processes in 2021, hiring could be one of the biggest challenges.

Data-driven recruitment

Effectively handling large chunks of data has become unanimous with the online work mode. Most business leaders have predicted that analytics and data will take centre stage in the post-COVID era. This translates into finding the right talent that's well-versed with the same. HR professionals will also have to use digital platforms to search for candidates online, shortlist digital resumes, and implement data-efficient hiring processes to speed up recruitment. Collaborating with online job portals would also make this task easier.

Empathy and Productivity

Remote working has its own set of pros and cons. While some have eased into it without hassles, for others, it means increased multitasking, categorising household chores, office work, and family events. Primarily, the Indian workforce appreciates flexible work schedules, but it needs to be heavily backed with support and empathy from their HR teams. Some companies are scheduling therapy sessions with employees on weekends to monitor their mental health and well-being. Empathy in understanding that different individuals have varied challenges, experiences, backgrounds, and skills must form the foundation of work-from-home productivity.

Support system

Much like empathy towards employees, the right support provided to your team can make a large difference in its productivity. HR professionals can hold video-conferencing sessions or calls to work out issues and informal sessions where employees can catch up and relax. Workplace friendships and conversations bring the fun back to work, and it's necessary to continue the same online. Additionally, HR professionals would have to update their policies and schedule leadership training or skill sessions for employees. When transitioning back into an offline work mode, ensuring safety and maintaining COVID-safety protocols would also fall under the tasks of an HR professional.

Conclusion

Even as the pandemic restrictions ease and offline work resumes, remote working in some form is here to stay. If companies adopt a hybrid work model, they will have to divide their attention between two groups. Some of the lessons learned and techniques used in remote working could be applied to offline work practices as well. Increased networking, collaboration, and hiring the right talent will always be at the forefront of HR professionals' priorities. Moreover, data-driven practices, community building, mental health checks, and embracing technology are a few of the many practices that require a brush-up.

Rajeena is a Content Specialist at Kaam De with a love for words and writing. When she’s not grooving to the latest pop hits or trying out new Italian recipes, you’re likely to find her rewatching episodes of The
Office or her favorite binge-worthy shows.