First, suspend everyday expectations of what HR is supposed to do and take charge during a crisis. Focus on the human part of “human resources”.
In a time of crisis, HR leaders must welcome discomfort, be assertive, and lead from the bleeding edge. Be a first rather than a supportive second. Do not wait for the leadership team to make assignments. Go where you must. Do what is needed. Permissions can wait. Crisis management through HR planning enhances the company’s ability to deal with crisis and ensures faster recovery when an organization is faced by a crisis.
Communication is the key - Communication is the key at a time of crisis. A good crisis management strategy should help reassure employees, giving them peace of mind. Establishing clear lines of command and channels of communication like panel of experts, debrief managers and other stake holders on what needs to be told to those who reach out to them. Create a company intranet page with information about employee benefits and other employee-related policies and programs that are relevant to the situation. Use bulletin board, notice board, mass mailers, cloud platform etc. Remember! everyone should speak the same language. Do not mislead employees by confusing them. Through training and motivation, an organization can ensure that its crisis management efforts are fruitful by actively engaging employees in the process. This can help eliminate unease and feelings of uncertainty.
Planning is crucial - Emergencies can also be global in nature or have global impact for international companies. Crisis of that magnitude will require HR to anticipate and implement disaster planning across borders and take account of varying international standards and protocols. People within the organization are considered the solution to the challenges faced by the organization in the face of a crisis. Preparing them for disaster is considered an imperative aspect of business management. Educate business leaders and employees on recognizing the effects of stress and suggest where they can get help, e.g., employee assistance program (EAP), councilors, mentors can be of great help. Identify complex spheres and slice it to simple deliverables. The more you keep it simpler, it is easier for everyone to understand. (Simple solutions are often blockbusters).
Act fast; Make quick decisions - Today’s business environment requires a robust, enterprise-wide plan to deal with risks and crisis. Company reputation and brand, as well as the trust and loyalty of stakeholders, all other critical assets are at stake during a crisis. It should be obvious to everybody that a Crisis and its Management has a lot to do with people, technology, infrastructure, economy, revenues, profits and so on. Keeping all these aspects in mind, the goal is to ensure that in the event of a crisis, the minimum damage is incurred, and that the organization can return to its original position as fast as possible. Exigencies cannot be predicted and hence we cannot be proactive all the time. It is important we act quickly and responsibly. Go by your intuition. It rarely fails you. Some infamous decisions can make you unpopular. It is OKAY.
Embrace change; Embrace technology - Establish robust communication channels, such as a company intranet home page, telephone hotlines or daily e-mails. This is the place where ‘Technology Proponent’ comes into play. HR can identify what and how to use technology to enable efficient and accurate communication before, during and after a crisis. Think out of the box. Have the younger generation and millennials train the senior employees to bridge the gap. This will address undercurrents and brings better collaboration. Be ready to embrace contemporary HR methods even if that makes you uncomfortable at first. Adapt yourself and employees to adopt methods that situation calls for. Crisis of bigger impact can bring in paradigm shift forever. It can change the way the entire workforce is looked at. Be prepared.
Remember that you are the People Matter Expert - HR is in the best position to ensure that an organization’s human capital can be prepared, preserved and can continue to create value under any adverse circumstances. No matter the size, durability and successes, organizations are very vulnerable when something goes wrong with their people and this is where your prudence will be needed because you are the “People Matter Expert”. Build organization’s resilience and promote sustainability. At the same time, people are the solution too! Critical communication plans, resource planning, safety and security measures, talent management and succession planning, coaching and mentoring can help prepare employees. Provide novel ideas like leave pooling, leave donation etc., Celebrate small success during these times. It brings back hope.
This is the time where “Strategic HR” comes into play - The role of an HR leader is heavy since we bear the weight of the company’s workforce. Optimize your work by becoming a strategic HR, prioritize on activities that will reap the most rewards like employee engagement, encouraging workers to perform better, motivate them to keep the momentum high. Depending on the nature and magnitude of the emergency, categorize employees by degree of the impact: employees who are severely affected and employees indirectly affected. Create quick policies for each employee group that perfectly suits them, considering their needs and issues. Identify each department, each function, each workflow to see the degree of impact and act responsibly. Keep an eye on reducing costs wherever possible, else it can snowball into letting go your employees. Draw statistics and analytics, which can provide qualitative insights, resulting in well thought out actions.
Provide assurance and hope - There will be some emotional and psychological issues that must be addressed by you. You need to be strong and resilient. Do not let this episode take a toll on you. Be watchful. You are not a robot. Plan how to keep people safe in an emergency and how to secure vital assets. Prepare employees to survive during a crisis and help them thrive afterward. Ensure that core people processes are reliable no matter what might happen. Create belongingness. Employees are considered as important stakeholders during a crisis and hence they need to play crucial role in adapting change and acting fast when it falls due. Other than keeping employees safe, a key function of HR at a time of crisis is to reassure employees. Provide optimistic resolutions. Crisis leaves employees in doubt as a customary. Ensure that you are together in this. Emphasize trust in leadership and management.
I have identified 10 important aspects of Human resource that can always be affected first during a crisis and need to have business contingency plan:
- Departmental changes; Organizational structure
- New hire and recruitment in pipeline
- Policies and guidelines
- Confirmation process
- Transportation services
- Training & Development
- Offboarding and severance settlements
- Compensation and benefits
- Time & attendance
- Employee Engagement