Post-COVID: Tips on How HR Can Thrive

The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us all a lot—how to cut each other’s hair, how to bake bread, how to throw socially-distanced birthday parties, just to name a few. But, it’s also taught many of us how to survive the here and now. While this ‘survival mode' may have helped many of us handle difficult conversations, budget cuts, etc., it’s time to adjust our mindset. As our nation begins to reopen, it’s time to flip the switch. It’s time to thrive in this ‘new normal,’ not just survive. Here are three tips to help you do just that. 

Focus on Your People.

First things first, your employees are key to thriving—this isn't new, though. What's new is the challenges they may have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, including back-to-work fears. Employees nationwide are facing the challenges and concerns of returning to their workplaces, especially essential workers. Thriving starts by helping your employees adjust to the 'new normal.' Be sure to:

• Communicate clearly. Be transparent and communicate what procedures and policies are in place to protect them and ease their worries.
• Be consistent. There’s been a lot of change these past couple of months. Whether through weekly phone calls or monthly team activities, now is your opportunity to provide some consistency. 
• Be flexible. It’s important to understand the different stages your employees may be at after COVID-19. Talk to them, understand their fears, and be flexible.

Keeping your employees remote? You're not alone. According to Gartner's recent study, nearly 75% of CFOs plan to shift some of their on-site employees to permanently remote positions post-COVID 19. If this is your case, still focus on your people—shocking, right?! Provide resources to help them adjust to being remote full-time, including learning and development opportunities to keep them engaged. When your employees are prepared to thrive, your organization will too.

Use Your Resources.

From your team members to your hiring solution vendors, you’ve got support all around you—including a wide range of resources. Now is the time to take advantage of the resources available to you; do some research, download some templates, and get ahead of the game with your post-COVID 19 plan. Many of our partners have created resources to help during these trying times. Visit our COVID-19 resource page for some of these resources to get you going.

With the help of our partner community, we’ve also created a COVID-19 Partner Marketplace. Our Partner Marketplace features business offerings for organizations facing the challenges of COVID-19. From ATS solutions to CRM providers, this marketplace highlights solutions that can help your organization transition from surviving to thriving. 

Revitalize Your Hiring Strategy.

Over 36 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the past eight weeks, resulting in an abundance of quality talent awaiting their next position. With a hiring bounce back right around the corner, now is the time to revitalize your hiring strategy and build it to really thrive in this ‘new’ world. For a viable hiring strategy, be sure to:

• Plan to hire and onboard remotely. Industry-leading influencer, Josh Bersin, shared how remote work is not only real and big, but it’s most likely not going anywhere anytime soon. Be proactive and implement remote hiring and onboarding tools into your hiring strategy. 
• Evaluate your hiring solutions. Are your hiring solutions just helping you "get by" these days? Re-evaluate your current solutions and consider the bigger role they play in your hiring process. Pro-tip: Use our complimentary background screening vendor evaluation. 
• Connect your hiring solutions. If your hiring tools aren’t integrated with one another, they’re outdated. Make your hiring strategy viable by connecting your screening solution with your other hiring platforms.

Conclusion: Go Thrive

All in all, remember: your people come first. Prepare your (current and prospective) employees for success. Then, focus on the tools and resources to push you further than the rest. You’ve got this, and we’re right here to support you along the way. For more resources on moving past COVID-19, visit our COVID-19 Community resource page. Now, go survive thrive!