COVID-19 | IBM's HR Chief reveals why now is 'the perfect opportunity'

Since coronavirus started to spread, employees have been instructed to work from home where possible. While many have voiced the challenges that they have faced since working remotely, they have been able to keep working.

For those organisations that have observed the financial drain of the virus – and business has started to take a hit – some staff have, sadly, been laid off.

The natural instinct for employers wanting to reduce costs may be laying off staff though, Bill Schaninger from the consultancy McKinsey, told The Economist that good HR leaders will be able to reconfigure company workflows to prevent this.

Other companies have halted hiring to improve cashflow. While it may not be the right time to recruit new talent – and lots of employers have imposed a temporary hiring freeze to help business continue as normal – this, according to IBM’s HR lead Diane Gherson, is “the perfect opportunity” for savvy HR leaders to attract rival talent, particularly given that most people are working from home and won't be listening in on their calls.