No one alive has encountered a global epidemic as severe as the coronavirus, with its unparalleled effects on our personal and professional lives. Priority will always be given to emotional and family well-being. We all cry for those who weep, and we all take care of our loved ones.

 

With the pandemic's negative impact on global markets causing harm to companies large and small, human resource teams play a critical role. Lockdowns and social distancing norms have a negative effect on the majority of companies. Many companies and their employees have suffered financial losses as a result of this. Almost everybody has suffered the loss of a friend or family member as a result of the virus. Much of this has jeopardized workers' physical and psychological well-being. COVID-19 is a failure in every way. Human Resources practitioners need to handle this crisis while still ensuring that they deal with the situation.

So, What Is A Crisis? 

 

A crisis is described as something that poses a severe threat to the operations, finances, credibility, and/or people of a company.

 

When we talk of a crisis, it doesn't have to be a global pandemic like COVID-19. Natural disasters (earthquakes, floods), infrastructure and network failures, accidents causing damage to a company's assets, employee death or injury, litigation or civil proceedings against the organization are examples of crises. Depending on their seriousness, each of them may pose a significant threat to an organization's regular activity. Almost all of them necessitate the deft involvement of HR teams to keep the apple cart balanced.

 

Who Is Responsible For Crisis Management?

 

HR's position in crisis management is broad, and the degree of HR's involvement varies according to the crisis's nature.

 

During a crisis, HR must ensure that all of the following aspects of an organization's operations run smoothly:

 

Employee Relations And Crisis Communication:

During a crisis, HR is frequently the medium for much of the internal contact. They are in charge of keeping business intranet pages up to date with pertinent details such as HR policies and procedures, employee contact lists, and company announcements. HR should also coordinate with management and leadership to ensure that crisis communication is consistent across the organization and that sufficient FAQs are generated to address the crisis's questions. HR may also provide employee input to management to make improvements to crisis communication.

 

Policy And Process Management: 

HR is usually in charge of establishing (in coordination with senior management) and implementing policies regulating employee actions and organizational procedures. This will include serving as the repository for crisis management plans and strategies. Every crisis is unique and unfamiliar, necessitating the rapid creation or modification of company policies. COVID-19, for example, requires many people to work from home. HR should cooperate with departmental managers to establish guidelines on who can and should work from home and IT to ensure that the correct remote work systems are in place.

 

Employee Skills And Information Tracking:

HR is in charge of gathering and storing data about workers, such as personal information, expertise and experience, and organizational functions. This information is often housed in a centralized repository, such as a Human Resource Information System (HRIS). An HRIS makes it simple to find details that may be useful during a crisis, such as which workers have first aid training, who to call in an emergency, and employee counts by department or location.

 

Training And Development: 

HR also coordinates, develops, and delivers training and professional development courses within an organization. Training for management and key staff in crisis management is a vital component of successful crisis management. Fire exercises to more in-depth leadership courses geared explicitly toward crisis management are both examples of training.  

 

Employee Service And Benefits Programs: 

HR is in charge of managing organizational benefits and support projects, both of which are essential for successful crisis management. Employee Assistance Programs, for example, may help workers find mental health care services. Health services are needed to assist injured workers in receiving medical treatment and efficiently rehabilitating and recovering to return to work. Since crisis management aims to return the company to normal operations as soon as possible, it is critical to have safe staff capable of doing so.

 

Talent And Succession Planning: 

Some crises can render certain employees unable to perform their duties. Human resources are usually in charge of succession planning and partnering with management to recognize their teams' abilities. If a disaster has resulted in a team leader's significant injury, for example, it is vital to consider who – if anyone – will step in for the team leader as they heal. HR's responsibility is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the histories, expertise, and perspectives of the "human resources" within their company if they need to be mobilized elsewhere during a crisis.

 

 

It is tempting in a crisis to 'manage' (do one or the other) rather than 'navigate' (do both simultaneously) these paradoxes. Of course, human resources should continue to have 'tip sheets' for critical services. In this crisis, however, HR provides even more meaning by delving into the complexities of navigating these paradoxes. In this way, HR helps business leaders deliver talent, organization, and leadership so that all stakeholders (employees, clients, investors, and communities) can live beyond the current crisis. I am sure that HR practitioners will seize these resources.