COVID-19 is currently impacting business operations and it looks like these are here to stay for the foreseeable future. HR management software can change the way you work and while most people are working from home at this time it is proving an essential tool.
However, this isn’t a temporary measure, it has been estimated that significant amounts of employees will continue working from home even after the pandemic. In fact, a third of staff members want to continue working from home even after lockdown.
Businesses who survive the pandemic have now witnessed that staff can remain productive remotely and managers are more open to the idea of allowing this in the long-term. But with this in mind, business owners need to consider how to implement strategies, software and procedures to manage increasing numbers of those working from home.
But what are the every-day tasks that will now have to change and be considered?
Recording Absences
Even if we can’t take a proper holiday for a while, it’s important for staff to take time off from their working lives. Increasing numbers of staff may also be taking time off if they do fall ill with coronavirus or even something else. People’s personal mental and physical health is being affected at this time and many are more susceptible to needing time off.
Trying to record these using emails or excel sheets isn’t an easy task. Implementing HR software that allows staff to record the reason for their absence, the length and any other details can help HR teams keep track of this with ease.
It can even be an insight for managers to see which teams are understaffed at what times so time can be delegated accordingly to ensure no departments fall behind,
It can also improve communication, managing large numbers of staff remotely can mean that managers may not be aware of who is not working at times. Therefore, this software allows them to know when to contact them and in an urgent matter, they can contact another member of the team.
Monitor Wellbeing
It is the responsibility of HR teams to ensure staff members are mentally healthy. This can be tricky when staff are not physically present, human beings excel in portraying a healthy mentality over emails and phone calls, but this may not be the case.
Poor mental health can be down to personal life, the stress of workloads or the current situation we are finding ourselves in. Even after Covid-19, the modern world can easily impact our wellbeing and we don’t know the long term effects of lockdown on employee mental health yet.
It isn’t feasible for HR teams to reach out to every staff member individually, especially in larger companies. Passing this workload on HR software can benefit all team members, surveying employees on how they are feeling and if they require support can be done with these systems.
HR teams can then analyse responses and even pick out correlations between members of the same team, to provide extra support where needed. If needed, this can be done anonymously so no employee feels the need to lie about their mental health with the worry of any stigma attached.
Hiring and Training
While many businesses have paused onboarding for the foreseeable future, it will still need to happen at some point.
Employees have taken this time in lockdown to assess their careers and it is predicted that large numbers of workers will be looking for a career change once the economy picks up again. They will, of course, need replacing.
Previously, it was only extenuating circumstances in which video calling for interviews was used but now it is the norm. After COVID-19, there is little reason to continue face-to-face interviews.
Those who are seeking employment due to the need to relocate may not have the means to travel and as lockdown measures are eased, we are still encouraged to reduce contact with others and avoid public transport if possible.
Even a successful candidate may be required to work remotely for health reasons until further notice. This is why HR software is crucial, from advertising to training, it can ease pressure on all parties.
Applicant tracking systems can be utilised, meaning candidates can be contacted in bulk with the progress of their application, meaning HR teams are not burdened with this time-consuming task, while all data remains secure.
With high volumes of applicants, video screen software can be implemented to quickly assess them. Once you have found the perfect candidate, it is important to get the induction phase right.
Starting a new role is daunting and new-starters need to feel supported and part of the work culture. Virtual onboarding can be used to help organise their first few weeks and virtually meet their team, they can even access this before they start so they feel comfortable and confident on their first day.
Essential forms and contact details can be completed here and passed on to those needed, with the worry of it getting lost.
Keeping Up Communication
Communicating while remote can be difficult even in the smallest teams. Urgent and important information still needs to be relayed but not all team members are available at the same time and sending mass emails can lead to this being lost in inboxes or possibly ignored.
HR systems can provide a platform to voice this. It can track those who have opened it so staff members can be chased if needed. There are also options to ask employees to agree they have read and understood this information, meaning no one can say they have not received it.
These messages can be sent out to the whole workforce or just select teams, meaning no one is forced to read something that isn’t relevant to them.
Businesses have been moving more online for decades but 2020 has seen the rise of utilising cloud technology. Now more than ever, it is essential that information regarding the workplace is secure and accessible, no matter where in the world staff members are.
