When employees face times of distress, they often turn to human resources to deal with their worries. In times as strenuous as COVID-19, this sort of support is nothing less than essential to allow operations to continue without skipping a beat.  

Even though HR managers are currently taking care of their responsibilities through digital mediums, it is especially important to not lose the skills previously used before the pandemic to solve workplace issues. Regardless of the circumstances, HR managers must strengthen these critical skills to keep the wheels moving in the right direction.

 

Active Listening

There is no question that HR managers are required to deal with multiple employee concerns. Whether it be to solve salary troubles or investigate workplace harassment claims, HR managers cannot come up with solutions without learning how to actively listen to all parties involved. It should come as no surprise how beneficial the simple act of listening can provide for any workplace.

Many people do not realize that most of the time, listening is only a means to reply rather than understand. Employee concerns can only be appropriately dealt with if the HR manager fully understands the situation. People who master this skill are usually dubbed as “people persons” by their peers. By learning to listen and communicate appropriately, HR managers can not only make their jobs more comfortable but improve the lives of employees.

Body language can sometimes be more meaningful than words. HR professionals need to identify facial expressions, tone, and more to paint a full picture and discussions should be two-way conversations. Managers should ask for further clarification in areas they are confused about to ensure they fully understand the issue.

 

Be Flexible

HR managers should prepare to treat their policies and general hiring conventions with a flexible approach rather than a static one. It has long been regarded that successful workplaces are those who are open to change, and the realm of HR is no exception to such a rule.

While such an approach is difficult to detail with a bulleted list, there are specific ways to begin implementing flexibility in any workplace. For one, further emphasis on work-life balance proves to boost employee confidence and improve efficiency. Whether this is done by providing daycare centers for employees with children or reducing a five-day workweek to a four-day workweek. By remaining flexible, HR managers can successfully manage employee expectations while still minimizing potential workplace challenges.  

 

Embracing Digital Platforms

Any business that wishes to stay afloat these days must embrace digital platforms to manage workflow. You would be surprised how many industries still have not accepted this reality. For HR managers who have yet to utilize digital platforms in their own workspace, the time to do so is now. With only a little bit of research, HR professionals can quickly discover more than a few digital tools to aid their efforts.

Some of the more popular adjustments involve incorporating thorough analytics, taking HR systems into the “cloud,” and automatic recruitment processes. Before picking a digital platform to supplement their efforts, HR managers should experiment with different platforms to understand what works best for them.

 

Managing Costs and Budgets

HR departments oversee allocating budgets to provide funding for hiring, salaries, benefits, training, and more. None of these responsibilities are easy, but a great HR manager must learn how to employ budgeting methods to streamline the process effectively.

With incremental budgeting, HR managers will use their budget from the previous period and add incremental amounts either upwards or downwards for each item based on spending expectations. As the name suggests, zero-based budgeting requires HR managers to start from scratch. Rather than using previous information, a zero-based budget analyzes every need to justify proper expenses. Depending on the situation, both methods are very useful to simplify their budgeting process and spend more time improving employee experiences

 

While the COVID-19 pandemic may have thrown a wrench into conventional business practices, there is still no excuse for HR managers to let their skillsets fall by the wayside. For HR managers hoping to sharpen their skillsets, an emphasis on the methods listed above is a great way to improve not only their own work lives but also the experiences of those around them.