HR Pulse

The Future of HR in a post Covid world

There is no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a profound impact on how we work and operate. While none of us can truly know the full extent of the impact, what we do know is that certain roles, specifically HR, will be critical to supporting the adjustment to this new reality within the workplace.

According to recent reports, the pandemic has completely changed the office landscape. We already see how more and more businesses are choosing to follow the work from home (WFH) model or adopt a hybrid thereof – and businesses are starting to realise that there isn’t an immediate need to own or rent large office spaces to run a business - with many questioning whether the office environment itself needs to be left behind altogether.

However, whether the business adopts a full WFH model or a more hybrid version, HR will be a critical component to ensuring an organisation is able to adapt its policies, and ways of working, to remain relevant and an employer of choice going forward.

Embracing the ‘new world of work’
Another factor that will be crucial to navigating the changes that we are seeing during this pandemic, is the ability to build and maintain a strong company culture - and this requires investment and I don’t mean only financial investment but an investment of time and intentionality. Without this, companies will struggle to create a community of well-connected, and highly engaged teams, as the WFH strategy leads the way.

In fact, the ‘ditch the desk’ policy we currently have in place not only allows individuals to build some flexibility into their work week, through the introduction of things like core hours, shortened weeks and/or working from home, but it also allows you to self-empower staff to drive their own effectiveness which in turn drives results – as opposed to merely fulfilling required working hours.

Some of the other things that have worked for us as a result of this pandemic has been for example; putting together a work from home policy guide, not only to address performance management guidelines and data access, but more importantly the security and integrity of company information, its Intellectual Property (IP) and the online security of all its staff. Other aspects we are considering, is whether a WFH set-up (and the associated security and technology requirements) is offered as part of an employee’s overall package going forward. And just as importantly, we are taking this new reliance on technology to ensure it is effectively used to create meaningful engagements with its employees in spaces such as employee induction programmes, training and development, coaching, culture as well as an individual’s career path in this new world of work.

Moving forward
There is a huge shift in the ‘new world of work’ and mostly it is centred on a change in mindset that recognises that people can work remotely and effectively, while still driving high levels of engagement and productivity. Technology has of course been a key enabler here, ensuring people feel connected and remain productive. The challenge for HR going forward though, is how it can sustain this, as well as adapt, to ensure people remain connected and productive.

For me, this means that the role of HR is now more crucial than ever – especially if you want your people to feel connected, and informed, while still finding creative ways of ensuring the company culture and work ethic is understood. This means focusing on facilitating conversations, allowing for creative insights and growth – remotely - with both leaders and employees, despite less formal working environments.

HR must be the driver in running the organisation’s key culture programmes in a diverse and inclusive way, however, finding ways to move these to a virtual world is part of the change in approach that HR must adapt to. As an example, at KFC, we held a Woman’s Day event, virtually this year to recognise and honour all the women in our business across 22 markets on the continent, which worked extremely well and bolstered staff morale amidst uncertain times.

What is exciting for HR going forward is making sure that businesses are equipped with not only the right people who have the required capabilities to deliver business objectives – but identify those that can work in a far more flexible way, with less restrictions, while still remaining accountable, productive and valued.

Investing in human capital will be a game-changer – digital disruptions has shifted many businesses across industries in a massive way and to succeed, we need to embrace this disruption by:

• Providing staff with online training such as Udemy, to provide new ways of investing in our people and their growth, not forgetting development.
• Expanding staff skills beyond the reach of in-person teaching courses – making people more technologically advanced and skilled.
• Embracing a different way of working where offices become a place of connecting rather than a place to work. It’s not where you work (the location) that matters it’s what you deliver (performance) that is key (performance measured on output).
• Enhancing online engagement strategies to ensure that key cultural principles are retained.
• Understanding that the skills and competencies for a talented workforce as well as their needs (benefits/reward structures etc) will be different – HR must be progressive in this space if it is going to retain and attract talent that is equipped for the future of working.

I truly believe that COVID and the changes the world is going through will be a catalyst for change – and HR is key in defining and transitioning business into the “new world of work”.