HR Industry Brief

Employers may not realize how this pandemic is affecting their workers’ ability to function and succeed. According to a new survey:

• Nearly a fifth of workers says their employers misunderstand their productivity and workload and the stress they are facing in light of the pandemic.
• While the majority say their company has taken their physical safety into consideration, many say they don’t feel that enough attention has been paid to their mental health. In fact, 12% of respondents explicitly mention mental health, using words such as “stress,” “anxiety,” and “pressure.”
• Nearly one in 10 of respondents expresses concerns about issues related to family obligations. They call for more flexible hours and a need for managers to better understand their specific situations (such as providing home schooling for children or care for an older family member).

There are always some challenges involved in hiring. However, during a pandemic, these are multiplied. Some special considerations may help ensure you identify candidates who will thrive at your organization in the post-COVID world:

• Some different skills, such as autonomy, self-motivation, conflict resolution, and written and verbal communication, will be valuable for most positions in the new normal of work.
• Be attuned to concerns about physical contact. Realize that some people will be concerned about physical proximity during the interview process. Be prepared to take steps to put them at ease, keep them safe, and make them comfortable.
• Consider new and innovative ways of onboarding. Space out virtual training exercises and give new hires some time during the day to settle in, take in their new environment, and ask questions. Make sure you adequately communicate the company’s culture.
• Create opportunities for interactions, including … [Read more...] about (5/29) Hiring New Employees During COVID-19

Inclusion matters and can boost profitability – even during a pandemic, according to a new report. In Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters, the authors conclude that the business case for gender and ethnic diversity in top teams is “stronger than ever.” Among the findings:

• Companies in the top quartile of gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than other organizations.
• Companies with more than 30% women executives were more likely to outperform those with fewer women.
• Those organizations with greater ethnic and cultural diversity were 36% more likely to outperform the competition.
• One-third of firms have achieved real gains in executive team diversity since 2014. However, about 50% have made little or no progress.

As videoconferencing has become more popular in the age of COVID, it has attracted the attention of hackers who have taken to ‘Zoom bombing.’ This is where a virtual meeting is disrupted by graphic or threatening messages or images, often including hate speech or pornographic materials. Zoom, it should be noted, isn’t the only videoconferencing platform susceptible to bombing. Among the best practices to avoid or prevent Zoom bombing include:

• Be acquainted with the technology you’re using. Test it before your meeting so that you can maintain control.
• Use a program that only allows authenticated users to participate in any capacity. Limit the ability to invite or allow others in to one or two leaders. Instruct participants to keep sign-in information confidential.
• Do not make meetings or classrooms public.
• Disable the ‘join before host’ setting.
• Manage screen-sharing options.

As companies begin to reopen following months of quarantine and lockdowns, there is still much uncertainty how leadership will address cultural and ethical issues related to the new normals of the world post-COVID. According to a new survey of ethics, compliance, and legal professionals, many managers and executives still have questions and concerns:

• Only 46% say their organizations’ senior leaders support effective sanctions or penalties on senior executives and high performers who are involved in misconduct.
• Just 37% say their organization takes ethics into account when setting sales targets or goals.
• Only 56% say their organization requires ethical conduct to be evaluated when deciding on employee bonuses.
• Just 39% said their company takes ethics into account when hiring managers and executives.

At first, a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic lights a fire under people, and they feel charged up and are more productive. However, before long, they hit a regressive phase, where they feel tired and lose their sense of purpose. However, don’t get discouraged. There are some ways to combat this:

• Start by determining how deep you and your team are into the regressive phase. Look for evidence such as how long it takes to make decisions, the number of conflicts that have arisen, and what deadlines have been missed.
• Next, disrupt the team and create a new day. Introduce a new structure and assign some new tasks.
• Learn to calibrate your team’s emotions. Watch for signs that they are feeling fatigued and starting to regress. Do something before they sink into ennui and lose interest in their work.
• Aim beyond business as usual. While it may be tempting (and sometimes necessary) to kick into survival mode during a crisis, try to keep things … [Read more...] about (5/25) If You Feel Like You’re Regressing, You’re Not Alone

Culture is more than just a buzzword to your employees, and now is the time to consider how your culture can best serve the needs and concerns of your workforce:

• Show employees that their input counts. Survey them, talk to them, listen.
• Review and rethink how you address issues such as flexibility and safety, as well as how you promote trust between workers and managers.
• Be transparent. This may mean stepping outside of your comfort zone and sharing more information and truths than you might do so normally.
• Double down on emotional health and help people learn and practice optimism.
• Rethink what is good for employees both individually as a team. Employee resource or support groups are becoming more population in light of the pandemic, for instance.
• Model gratitude and optimism. More than ever, employees are looking to leaders as a barometer of what’s happening and how they should feel.

Your days and nights are different now than you ever could have imagined. You are working with remote teams, using videoconferencing and other technology more, and you’re working around the clock as one day blurs into the next. With everything that’s happening, it is important to make sure you’re being the leader your teams need right now. Here are five behaviors to model:

• Your workers are under a great deal of stress and pressure. Make sure they know you’re on their side. Realize they are juggling work, families, homeschooling, making meals, and keeping their homes clean and comfortable. Try to be understanding if kids interrupt a meeting; and avoid (if possible) late night and early morning calls. Triage projects/activities and extend deadlines where you can. Don’t bother workers on the weekends unless it is absolutely necessary.
• Connect in a variety of ways including videoconferencing, phone calls, emails, and texts. Make sure remote workers have the … [Read more...] about (5/21) 5 Simple Behaviors Every Leader Should Be Demonstrating Now

With the COVID-19 pandemic straining budgets and affecting profits everywhere, organizational leaders are likely to be looking for ways to slash costs. If you don’t want your HR program on the cutting block, consider these steps:

• Measure the impact the ROI of your program now and have the results available.
• Make sure that virtual HR programs are working.
• Update your measurement and evaluation strategy and find ways to connect your HR programs to important and profitable aspects of the organization.
• Design future HR programs to deliver looks. Look for opportunities to develop new programs to tap into evolving need such as employee mental wellness and financial counseling.
• Be prepared to highlight measures of greatest interest to executives.
• Be prepared to forecast the impact and ROI of major HR initiatives.
• Share the joy of delivering and measuring business results. Show how everyone and every … [Read more...] about (5/20) 7 Actions to Take Now to Protect Your HR Budget

During this pandemic, people keep hearing that “we’re all in this together.” Do your employees really think that’s true? Don’t assume that people have adapted to the new world of work just because they are functioning and doing their jobs. Take some time to prioritize engagement. Here are a few key steps:

• Connect virtually at all levels. Team members need to hear directly from their leaders, and they need a chance to ask questions and express concerns and make suggestions. Hold regular teleconferences or phone calls, send video messages via email, and make yourself accessible via phone or email.
• Be innovative about engagement activities. Since employees can’t gather in person, think of ways to promote engagement and camaraderie. Some companies have started virtual happy hours and coffee breaks. Consider having a employees-only website where workers can share photos of themselves, their families, and/or pets with each other. Celebrate successes and give … [Read more...] about (5/19) Seven HR Tactics for Maintaining Employee Engagement During a Crisis