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2020 Was The Year Of Learning For HR

Forbes Human Resources Council

Chief Human Resources Officer at Reflektive, helping employees and managers work better together. 

Do you remember Andra Day's song "Rise Up" from 2015? This is what comes to mind when I look back at 2020, feeling like we're on a merry-go-round while trying to rise above it all. We all needed reminders to "rise up" together.

When I pause and reflect on the past days, weeks and months, 2020 will be remembered for presenting inordinate challenges. Those of us in HR felt deeply the significance, and sometimes overwhelming challenge, of our role in keeping employees safe and sane during this time of crisis-driven change — with a global pandemic, economic volatility, widespread racial injustice and a contentious presidential election all going on while we were isolated and physically apart. 

Beginning in late February, I had frequent conversations with my peers on the executive team and fellow HR professionals to determine how to respond. Change was occurring rapidly, as the initial information we were receiving from health authorities and the government was scattershot and not always in sync. Without reliable information or a "what to do in a pandemic" playbook, we questioned what our next steps should be.

We were learning on the fly, both about the virus itself and what our employees needed. As we received more data about the virus and began to understand its severity, we realized that employees needed reassurance from HR and consistency in our approach. This, coupled with the ability to adapt, became a core part of our playbook.

We recognized that during times of uncertainty, a genuinely caring work environment makes an incredible difference in people's lives. We as leaders strive to provide this for our employees.

We also recognized that as employees adapted to working remotely, two-way communication to help foster collaboration and employee connection are key to boosting employee morale. HR leaders made sure to keep employee feedback front and center and to promote clear and frequent communication between managers and employees.

Data emerged as an essential tool to understand how employees were doing and also to determine the success of new programs. Leaders relied heavily on insights garnered from engagement surveys to inform their new initiatives. It's imperative to be intentional about your goals and how you're going to measure them. Check-ins must be aligned with what employees find most valuable, as well as with the behavior the company needs to see.

At my company specifically, we implemented new programs to ensure employees felt productive, connected and in general were doing OK while working remotely. Two of them included monthly fireside chats with the CEO and a gratitude program to help employees show appreciation for one another, to build resilience.

It may seem counterintuitive, but particularly during uncertain times, it is important to continue with review cycles. Employees are seeking certainty, and companies can provide this to them by answering two of the top questions on their minds: 1) How am I doing? and 2) How can I grow here? 

2020 Takeaways

As we embark on 2021, the best HR leaders are taking stock of what we learned, what we wish we had done and what we can carry forward from 2020. Here are some of those lessons learned and takeaways:

• Data is your friend. We have access to more data than ever, and understanding that data can really help grow and evolve your HR team.

• Don't be reactionary; be mindful of how you respond.

• Choose credible sources wisely — intentionally decide who to listen to. Make decisions based on your culture, your people and your data.

• How you communicate will continue to be critical, as the workforce will remain remote for the foreseeable future. Given this new reality, HR teams and executives need to ensure frequent communication and feedback forums to keep the company connected.

• Expect the unpredictable.

• Recognize the mental toll 2020 is having on employees. Mental health is a key concern and will continue to be important.

• Reach out to your peers. Just like our employees, HR learned that reaching out and connecting to other HR pros was paramount to our well-being. It was helpful to see what others were doing and how they were responding. Coming together as a community, we shared best practices and lessons learned.

• Study crisis management. HR pros had to learn how to be crisis managers, which is not typically a part of our job description. Looking back at 2020, it is an expertise that would have been very helpful.

• During a crisis, employees — like all of us — appreciate any semblance of normalcy. They continue to want to perform to their highest ability, and toward that goal, appreciate honest and authentic feedback and opportunities to learn and grow. 

Last year was one of learning — and hopefully, one from which our HR teams have emerged stronger, more resilient and better equipped to deal with future challenges and crises.


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