{"id":26175,"date":"2020-05-07T12:35:15","date_gmt":"2020-05-07T12:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bb.bluelynxcareers.bg\/people-management-in-crisis\/"},"modified":"2022-06-09T11:42:39","modified_gmt":"2022-06-09T11:42:39","slug":"people-management-in-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelynxcareers.bg\/en\/people-management-in-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"People Management in Times of Crisis: How a Good HR Strategy Can Save Your Business"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>There Are Many Ways to Navigate the Coronavirus Crisis. Which One Will You Choose?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When Coronavirus will be over, nobody can tell. But facts are facts. It\u2019s here now and we can\u2019t ignore its effects on every aspect of our lives. That\u2019s not to discourage you from taking action. Quite the opposite. In order to keep your business going in a shambles, you need to be making a good decision for your staff. Starting now.<\/p>\n<p>What does a good HR strategy look like in a crisis situation like the COVID-19 pandemic? Some coronavirus tips for managers are to follow below.<\/p>\n<h2>The Elephant in the Room<\/h2>\n<p>The first response to a crisis of any kind for many businesses is to cut down on staff. That\u2019s what we saw and will keep seeing with COVID-19 as well. Hiring freezes and ubiquitous lay-offs were triggered across a variety of industries. When we are talking about survival, businesses will always put themselves first. That\u2019s the elephant in the room nobody feels comfortable talking about but it\u2019s the truth. A critical situation of this scale faces employers with tough decisions almost instantly.<\/p>\n<p>Do they like it? Most likely not. Is it necessary? It might be. Is it avoidable? It depends on the situation you are in. How should you do it? How should you proceed with laying off staff due to COVID-19?<\/p>\n<p>The answer is honesty and a human approach. Saying goodbye to a loyal employee because of the global coronavirus pandemic isn\u2019t easy. Is there\u00a0<a title=\"Laying people off is not the only option\" href=\"https:\/\/hrexecutive.com\/here-are-some-alternatives-to-layoffs\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an alternative to layoffs<\/a>? Certainly. You just need to identify all the opportunities for employee retention. These might look like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Re-purposing employees<\/li>\n<li>Furloughing<\/li>\n<li>Applying for\u00a0<a title=\"Business support from the Dutch government\" href=\"https:\/\/business.gov.nl\/subsidy\/corona-crisis-temporary-emergency-measure-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">financial aid from the government<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Performing cost estimates of keeping staff for a few more months vs the cost of finding and hiring new employees at a later stage<\/li>\n<li>Providing job support for those you are laying off (<a title=\"How Airbnb will be laying off thousands of people\" href=\"https:\/\/news.airbnb.com\/a-message-from-co-founder-and-ceo-brian-chesky\/?fbclid=IwAR3UvRABXGLckeicU7N1p5qa_EFyQzJUGMNRaGe60k77UJ8aRTCyAEGlg_M\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">like Airbnb will be doing<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Uncertainty Breeds Chaos<\/h2>\n<p><strong>But chaos is a ladder<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Any time is a good time for a Game of Thrones reference. Albeit a fictional character, Petyr Baelish was on to something very real by saying this:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cChaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail and never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some are given a chance to climb, but they refuse.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Many businesses will be massively hit by the COVID-19 recession and some already are. At the same time, another great few will be benefiting from the current situation. Which one of those two categories is your business being funnelled into? It might seem like coronavirus is a disaster for your livelihood at first. But maybe you and your employees are more versatile than you thought. Maybe it\u2019s a matter of changing perspectives and identifying opportunities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What do we mean? Here are some examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/story\/from-vodka-and-gin-to-hand-sanitizer-global-distilleries-rush-to-help-fill-a-dire-shortage-of-the-product-amid-the-coronavirus-crisis-2020-03-24\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vodka and gin distilleries making hand sanitiser<\/a><\/li>\n<li>A\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2020\/04\/20\/us\/coronavirus-workers-go-home-trnd\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania producing tons of polypropylene<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 the raw material needed to make protective medical equipment<\/li>\n<li>The giant\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/lego%20reworking%20its%20machines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LEGO reworking its machines<\/a>\u00a0to produce thousands of protective plastic masks a day<\/li>\n<li>Tesla retooling its facilities and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2020\/04\/05\/tesla-shows-how-its-building-ventilators-with-car-parts\/?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKC-ili1J2ZagaloGRpkXg-lwTt7qBdgjEbEWly8nnDz3cOB_WFrf6JITrS4zDzvto3-Pwb7B-OYnmGyK8u7bVZb8NddARH_tAW1rLeCpNC-u2i5AXOFZyX7jgHO0730qXfYFB88A6Y_PF8H2DK3-TGott7MhZhQgCfej6VUc7fA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">building ventilators with car parts<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Those are all instances of human creativity and flexibility aimed at helping the world at a tough moment by answering its demand. That\u2019s where good people management will come as key. Involve your employees. Be honest about where your business stands in the midst of this chaos. Ask them to actively keep suggesting alternatives.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, history shows that recessions give birth to successful ventures. Companies like Uber, Airbnb, Slack, and Pinterest (to name a few) have all been started in the period of the Great Recession (2008-2010).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Business Continuity Plans<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Adapt, adjust and keep swimming<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>May we quote a fish? Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust keep swimming\u201d, Dory\u2019s iconic motto and the leitmotif of Finding Nemo. This quote strongly resonates with what Winston Churchill once said: \u201cIf you are going through hell, keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Churchill said that in no less of a trying time, right in the middle of the Second World War. It was a grave challenge for the economy and lives of people around Europe. He also said that \u201cattitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.\u201d This makes our next point: how to keep your business and keep going until it gets better.<strong>Put in Place an HR Strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It all starts with people and it always has. In life and in business alike. That\u2019s why Human Resources is where you should start too. Take a good look at the talent you have in your organisation. Get a very crisp understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each of your team members. Some areas to plan for will include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Health and safety procedures in the workplace for coronavirus prevention<\/li>\n<li>A policy on confirmed coronavirus case within the organisation<\/li>\n<li>Perform an internal financial audit of your organisation and allocate resources to your HR team<\/li>\n<li>Implement a work from home setup and technology<\/li>\n<li>Improving remote workforce communication<\/li>\n<li>Adjusting processes to the new way of working<\/li>\n<li>Employee engagement initiatives \u2013 online catch-ups, knowledge sharing sessions, company borrels, lunches and regular check-ins, video conferencing<\/li>\n<li>The forming of a crisis management team<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Be the Leader Your Employees Need<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>When an organisation is shaking under the pressure of uncertain and serious circumstances, people are looking for a real leader. Someone who can build a company culture around resilience. If you don\u2019t feel you are there yet, don\u2019t worry. This is something that can be taught, contrary to the belief that a leader is born. Good people management demands not simply being on top of a hierarchy but taking the lead when it is most crucial. You should be ever-present and engaged, not a wallflower. Take being a leader as if you are going on-stage every day. When you are out there performing and all eyes are on you, no personal matters should play a role.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Never Forget You Are Dealing With People<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>There are some basic needs that you need to have met when we are talking about communicating with and managing people. Support your workforce and create a safety net. Most importantly, listen to them. The levels of fear and anxiety among your employees need to be carefully monitored and controlled. People are going to be people. You can\u2019t blame them for being scared especially when it comes to their health and livelihood. You can only guide their mindset and don\u2019t let panic take over.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Scrap the \u2018Them-And-Us\u2019 Mentality<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In this moment and in time of any crisis, a global sense of togetherness unites better than anything. Often, we keep looking for the things that separate us. That\u2019s how extreme nationalism, football hooliganism between supporters and religious fanaticism exist. These are all based on the preconception \u201cwe are better than them\u201d. It\u2019s what you can\u2019t allow existing within your company culture at times like these. Managers\/owners, it\u2019s up to you to bring your people together and try to bridge the gap between all the levels within your organisation.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>No One-Size-Fits-All Strategy<\/h2>\n<p>Every business and its needs are unique. The effects of coronavirus might be something we are all facing, but adopting a cookie-cutter approach is far from correct. As it\u2019s always been, a crisis shines a light on character and resilience. For some, the COVID-19 pandemic will be a chance to demonstrate both. The decisions you make as a leader of your company will steer the wheel to either success or failure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are many ways to navigate the coronavirus crisis. Which one will you choose?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29788,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelynxcareers.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelynxcareers.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelynxcareers.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelynxcareers.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelynxcareers.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26175"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bluelynxcareers.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26175\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelynxcareers.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelynxcareers.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelynxcareers.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelynxcareers.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}