How is technology changing Human Resource Management during the pandemic?
2020 has seen several changes in the economy in attempts to cope with the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that we are seven months deep into the pandemic post-lockdown, the businesses are finally starting to show signs of slow but steady recovery in many sectors. Even though employees are still working from home, the operations have smoothened out considerably after a brief struggle to hold large scale remote work while honouring deadlines and targets. Most of the credit goes to the Human Resources Management teams for bringing the organization together while keeping the proverbial cogs on the clock going, who adapted quickly to the current challenge and brought all the teams and workers to function normally without the advantage of all being under a working office.
How did they achieve this level of functionality, where the productivity levels have remained constant, if not increased? While we noticed how recruitments had been put on hold earlier this year, there is a surge in companies hiring again to fulfill the demand of their business goals. All this would not have been possible if technology was not strong enough to hold all the businesses up. Today We are going to take a look at how technology is helping to reshape the way human resources management operates during the pandemic in three of the most important aspects of their functions.
- Recruitment: Where the old format and system of recruitment drives cannot be started for at least the next six months, the Human Resources has found another way to get the job done. Virtual hiring is on its upward trend due to the successful results the HRM received. Since it is not possible to conduct on campus or in-office interviews anymore, recruiters have resorted to using Zoom meetings for several rounds of interviews. Platforms like LinkedIn and Zoek India have become hubs of finding potential candidates who match the skill sets required to fill their job openings.
To reduce the risk of fraudulent applications, the HRM has established a screening system that extensively checks the documents and background of a candidate before hiring them. With online tests and assessments, they have noticed that the quality of the employees hired meets their expectations, especially now that remote work has eliminated the constraint of same location candidates. They have also opened doors to freelancers who are well-equipped to handle remote working better than untrained employees. Technology has opened up doorways for the HRM to employ extremely skilled remote workers irrespective of their geographic location, which in the long term is a profitable move.
- Handling remote teams and employees: While all employees have taken to working from their homes remotely, the HRM stepped up their game in helping these employees adjust and integrate their working timings, schedules and productivity in a short span of time. By reeling in platforms for regular online meetings, project tracking and more, the employees have found their rhythm to perform seamlessly from the comfort of their homes. Without technology, it would have been impossible to have teams located all around the globe to be working in unison. The human resources management created an environment that would help teams coordinate with the members and other teams, round the clock from any location as long as they have access to their laptops and an internet connection.
- Integrating technology training for the remote staff: Technology has been a boon to the Human Resources Managers as they found several ways to keep their employees trained and updated with the latest changes in the industry. For starters, there were several rounds of training held for employees and teams on how to work together remotely by using project management platforms, online meetings and perform all the important documentation work required. There are also several online training sessions and courses made available for employees to upgrade their knowledge to add to their professional and personal skills. Technology has also helped the HRM look after their employees by establishing employee welfare ideas and programs online to help them socialize, de-stress and stay productive.
Considering the three aspects of how technology has changed the human resources management operations in the course of six months during this pandemic, we are sure to see many more improvements that will make them even more efficient. When the new normal showed up, technology helped weave together a new way of handling an organization with ease. You can read more about how the pandemic has changed all aspects of an organization on our info hub, where we publish informative blogs to keep you up to speed with the latest topics.