Strategy | What has HR learned from the last month?

It’s certainly been a rollercoaster number of weeks since the start of the lockdown in the UK. One of the big advantages of the major disruption we are currently living through is that it can turn a spotlight on key areas of the business, its habits, routines and its people – and ultimately reveal truths that were always there, just not that visible.

So, what questions could HR be asking and what have we learned so far?

How committed are we to remote working?

What was your company view on remote working before the current crisis – was it actively supported and encouraged or were there lots of reasons to put staff off the idea? And has that viewpoint changed in the last several weeks? The majority of businesses have seen both positives and negatives regarding remote working, however a great many have struggled. Having the right technology, connections, hardware and software is only part of the equation. Operational processes, management style and structures, attitudes and behaviours can either help or hinder when so many are forced to turn their entire working routine on its head. For the companies that already supported flexible working for some staff prior to the pandemic, the shift to widespread enforced remote working was much easier because they already had a clear understanding of what was needed in practical terms, plus a genuine appreciation of the advantages. A positive view of flexible working, as well as having a cloud-based infrastructure, certainly eased the way forward.