Abstract:

Prior to COVID-19 human resources (HR) was viewed as an administrative role responsible for compliance to employment laws and regulations, the execution of employment decisions from executives and to advise, counsel and support business leaders on administrative personnel matters. The administrative personnel matters included recruitment, performance management and disciplinary termination with limited regard to employee well-being, safe working conditions, pay and compensation equity and work-life balance and employee-worker rights. From the employee’s perspective, HR was viewed as the voice of management and not an advocate for employees in the organization.

In 2019 the pandemic significantly changed the role of human resources in organizations. The virus mandates and policies from federal, state, and local governments disrupted organization workplaces and practices. As such concerns for employee health, wellness and safety increased as employees in response to an unknown new virus. HR departments took command of navigating through the uncertainty, chaos and disruption from the global pandemic that negatively affected profit, nonprofit and government organizations and its employees work and personal lives. HR had to optimize its role in the organization to meet the new challenges as a result of the aftermath of COVID 19 (1).

This paper will explore how human resources expanded its role during the pandemic and increased its influence in the crisis mode of operation, to shift from the administrative role to managing disruptions in the workplace. Next, the paper will discuss the lessons learned from the pandemic and how HR is in a position to use its influence to shape and rebrand its efforts to focus on employee’s needs, wellness, and employee engagement post pandemic. Lastly a discussion on the top skills needed by HR practitioners is examined as these skills are potentially direct learning outcomes from the pandemic.(2).

Keywords:

Human resources, disruption, employee engagement, influence, administrative, practitioners.