There was no playbook written on how to handle the challenges of 2020. Before the world changed in March, it’s unlikely any company had an internal FAQ section on a global pandemic internal action-plan. There was no employee online global pandemic prep course. It was unchartered territory. And it was nerve-wracking.
In 2020, the rules were written in real time. Human Resources executives from around the country were thrust on to the frontlines of an evolving nightmare – as countless employees looked to their employer for guidance, reassurance, and hope.
And thousands of HR professionals from companies large and small working in an array of fields from healthcare to retail to restaurants rose to the occasion during one of our darkest hours. They provided comfort in times of unprecedented anxiety while managing to keep team members focused on productivity as elements of the economy crumbled around them.
So how did they do it?
Keeping Them Safe and Healthy
Employees’ health and wellness were always a priority. But in 2020 it became the filter that nearly every business decision was made through. HR executives needed to create new guidelines on safety protocols in accordance with the ever-changing legal requirements. But fear and trepidation were rampant for anyone having to interact with the public. HR teams had to create a consistent open dialogue where safety protocols were clearly communicated and employees felt protected and valued by their employer. Keeping yourself and your family safe and healthy took precedent above every other priority. Also, The adage – ‘people are our greatest asset’ – was never more relevant.
Working Together Apart
Keeping employees connected while working remotely brought out the creativity and ingenuity in HR professionals. From virtual fitness classes to Zoom wine tasting to online meditation, developing ways to keep employees connected, engaged, and appreciated took out-of-the-box thinking coupled with the adoption of new technologies. Communication was key as keeping the team motivated while always reinforcing the corporate mission and ideals to keep everyone focused on the bigger picture. Also, HR teams had to be flexible as parents now were tasked with not just succeeding at work, but helping to educate their kids. It was a balancing act that required the support and counsel from the HR team.
Benefits That Make A Difference
In the early days of the pandemic, there was a furious rush to stock on supplies from hand-sanitizer to toilet paper. HR executives realized something had to be done as their staff needed access to their earned income to cover these unplanned expenses. On-demand pay no longer became just a nice benefit – it became essential. Many top employers from Kroger to Tractor Supply to OSL, accelerated the adoption of an on-demand pay benefit to their employees to support them during this unprecedented time.
“Employees were having problems getting access to the funds and they had expenses that they’d never seen before,” said Cynthia Reale, VP of Human Resources, North America for OSL Retail Services. “The day that it went live, by noon we had 900 employees already registered for DailyPay. So we knew that this was what they needed.”
A New Look At Hiring Practices
For the first time, many companies were no longer beholden to geography when making a hiring decision. With the switch to remote working, recruiters were able to look beyond the typical zip code. In 2020, the country also faced a significant shift in the cultural conversation as it pertains to race and opportunity. HR executives examined their own hiring practices and took measures to change the way they recruit and evaluate candidates. A recent DailyPay survey revealed the majority of Americans believe a diverse workforce and corporate leadership is good for business. It’s a step in the right direction that illustrates that innovation and progress does arise from our most challenging times.
Financial Security
Far too many households were affected negatively by the downturn in the economy surrounding the pandemic. When a member of the family lost their job or was furloughed, the responsibility for making ends meet often fell upon one individual. HR executives were then faced with staff members who overnight became the sole-breadwinners – and were increasingly stressed and in need of support from their employer. In fact, a DailyPay/Harris Poll study revealed one-third of employed Americans (36%) say they rely on financial assistance programs offered by their employer for financial guidance and advice. Fortunately, HR executives stepped up to the challenge by offering flexible schedules and benefits ranging from 401k, tuition reimbursement, to on-demand pay, demonstrating support for their staff during this most troubling time.
As we head into 2021, new challenges will arise as millions will head trepidatiously back into the office where new protocols and rules will once again test the mettle of HR professionals. As industries negatively affected by COVID-19 emerge from the dark clouds of the pandemic and begin to rebuild and bring on new staff, they’ll need to differentiate themselves from the competition and win the recruiting battle to secure the best and brightest talent on the market. I think it’s safe to say though that after enduring the challenges of 2020, there isn’t anything that Human Resources professionals from coast to coast can’t handle.
