How HR Can Navigate the Post-COVID World: Balancing Automation and Remote Work Challenges

Dear Sir,

Align with the new work way

As the economy has gradually started opening up, though it may be too early to say that things have become normal, we appear to be heading in that direction. The business world has understood that everyone involved must learn to live with COVID and adapt to that living and working style with evolving guidance and safety protocols. It is a matter of coexistence at present, which has pushed business leaders and HR leaders to rework people, policies, and processes to address the gaps exposed by the sudden impact of this pandemic.

Challenges and Opportunities: Automation and Remote Working

There appear to be two major areas that pose challenges as well as opportunities. One is automation, and the second is remote working. The recalibration of the HR function will evolve around these two aspects. To cope with uncertainties, organizations are rapidly adopting technologies and artificial intelligence. This will impact the way organizations have been hiring and onboarding until now. The massive transformation, that too with speed, will put high pressure on HR to rework, recalibrate, and reset things to align with the new way of working. For HR, it may not be an issue of formulating policies for different generations working together, but the real challenge would be to understand the profile of future workers. They are going to be On-Roll (regular employees), Off-Roll (contractual, temp through a third party), Gig workers, and Digital workers (Robots). Out of these, some will work remotely, and some will be in the office. HR must effectively redesign policies, structures, and practices, keeping in mind the upcoming future class of the workforce. HR cannot afford to overlook the truth that while automation at a fast pace in all areas is taking place, in times of crisis, humans prefer to interact with humans and not chatbots. To think that AI and bots will successfully replace all HR processes and keep employee engagement levels high would be a mistake. Technology cannot be a substitute for humans but only a supporting tool to improve efficiency. Technology must be used to empower employees and make them accessible and knowledgeable, not to make them useless. Technology cannot enhance engagement; human interaction does. Personal touch enhances emotional security.

The Remote Working Model

The remote working model, which is here to stay, also needs attention from HR to recalibrate their approach towards this segment, which will grow day by day. Since resilience will take precedence over efficiency, employees working from home or remote places must be emotionally mature and digitally competent enough to deliver, and tailor-made HR policies must be in place to meet their requirements.

It will be an exciting challenge for HR to ensure that 'out of sight' employees do not become 'out of mind' employees.

September 2021 Cover Story Experts are here to talk about the areas and challenges HR is expected to face in the new work world with changing work profiles and how to recalibrate its policies and processes.

Regards,

Anil Kaushik, Business Manager - HR Magazine B-138, Ambedkar Nagar, Alwar - 301001 (Raj.) India Mob.: [Phone Number Removed For Privacy-Reasons] www.businessmanager.in Location: Delhi, India Tags: working model, artificial intelligence, Country-India, City-India-Delhi, employee engagement, HR processes, HR policies, business manager HR magazine, gig worker, HR magazine

Given the evolving landscape of work post-COVID, it is crucial for HR to adapt to the new normal effectively. Here are some practical steps HR can take to recalibrate in alignment with the changing work dynamics:

1. Embrace Automation and Technology:
- Assess the impact of automation and artificial intelligence on HR processes and employee engagement.
- Identify areas where technology can enhance efficiency without compromising human touch.
- Develop strategies to leverage technology to empower employees while maintaining a balance with human interaction.

2. Redesign Policies for Future Workforce:
- Understand the profile of future workers, including regular employees, contractual workers, gig workers, and digital workers.
- Tailor HR policies to cater to the diverse needs of these different workforce segments, considering remote and in-office workers.
- Ensure that policies are flexible enough to accommodate the changing work profiles and expectations.

3. Remote Working Focus:
- Prioritize emotional maturity and digital competence in employees working remotely.
- Develop specialized HR policies for remote workers to address their specific requirements and ensure engagement and productivity.
- Implement measures to prevent remote employees from feeling disconnected or undervalued.

4. Maintain Human-Centric Approach:
- Remember that while technology is essential, human interaction plays a vital role in engagement and emotional security.
- Use technology to support and enhance human connections rather than replace them entirely.

By proactively addressing these aspects, HR can successfully recalibrate its policies and processes to meet the challenges of the new work environment post-COVID.