Canadian HR Reporter

N E W S 10 www.hrreporter.com How has HR changed in new world of work? It's a brave new world in 2020 and the spotlight is on HR as it has a starring role in how workplaces transform to face the future. That means new skills and new priorities, writes John Dujay Remote work focus The performance of HR in transitioning the workforce overnight to a remote- centred reality has shone a positive light on the department and this has helped eliminate some of the traditional animosity from other departments, says Baker Calamai. "The resistance felt previously in the broader business context has shifted, and now it's about: 'HR, tell us what to do and how to do it?' The fact that, in 24 hours, HR could set up a command centre and get their arms around the workforce and think about how they were transitioning into a different working arrangement — that wouldn't have been possible if there had been resistance and pushback that had been felt in other initiatives." Keeping alive the remote culture has been one of the major shifts on HR's plate, says one university-based expert. "The bigger issue is the organizational Spotlight on HR HR's overall importance has grown, especially considering the nature of the lockdown and its effect on workers, according to Paula Allen, senior vice president of research analytics and innovation at Morneau Shepell in Toronto. "In my experience, it's actually changed for the better. Sometimes, in a crisis situation, you just don't have time for silos, so, at the end of the day, IT has to make sure that they have everybody set up, finance has to make sure that they're doing the right projections. The role of HR has been elevated tremendously as a critical role in this pandemic, because, when you really think about it, 100 per cent of the risks and 100 per cent of its destruction has to do with people. It's not about a risk to land or property or something else, it's 100 per cent a people issue." Not only have things changed but everybody is watching how employers are doing, she says. "One of the top PR firms said the annual reports are being read more than ever before; social media is really paying attention to how organizations have been coping, how they're treating their employees, whether they're in a good place or a bad place. The amount of public scrutiny on how businesses are functioning during this crisis has really increased a fair bit," says Allen. "It's not even just how you're doing but there's this other level of making sure that you're doing things that are going to support your reputation as an organization — doing the right things and making sure that it's recognized as such." behaviour side of it, in that we've gone from a cohesive team environment that we're always trying to promote and move forward with [to] a situation where many of our people are working isolated from the rest of their coworkers," says Rick Brick, assistant lecturer School of Business at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. "Some tools are helping with that, certainly Zoom and Skype and FaceTime, but, unfortunately, it's not a perfect substitute for in-person, face-to-face camaraderie that helps build a team environment. And, for most organizations now, that team environment is essential to team job performance. Finding a workaround for that is probably the bigger challenge." Change leaders needed HR has also been asking many questions around business continuity, says Allen. "Do you have ways that you can protect your people even while they maintain productivity? Your suppliers, do they have resilience? Are they going to going to let you down because they can't provide supply?" COVID TAKES A TOLL ON EMPLOYERS "The role of HR has been elevated tremendously because, when you really think about it, it's 100 per cent a people issue." Paula Allen, Morneau Shepell 83% Number of organizations that have adjusted their business practices 71% Number of companies that are struggling with adjustment to remote work 65% Number of businesses that are having a tough time keeping employee morale high 76% Number of firms that have laid off staff due to the pandemic WHILE many depar tments have radically shifted perspectives and workflows during the coronavirus lockdown and a now-slow reemergence back into the office, HR has been thrust into the forefront of the new normal; in some cases, at lightning speed. And that's meant a dramatic shift to its role. "COVID has just accelerated all the thinking and impetus to act that HR has been sitting with for the past five to 10 years [to] 'How do we start to enable a more digital workforce? How do we rethink the work people are doing because it looks different when they're doing it in a different context?'" says Jodi Baker Calamai, global Canadian practice leader HR strategy at Deloitte in Toronto. "All these top-of-mind factors, what we used to call 'the future of work,' have just been accelerated, given the state of COVID." Source: Society for Human Resource Management

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