HR & Technology: A Pandemic Love Story
February 7, 2022 Business, General, Human Resources, News, Social, Technology, Uncategorized No comments yet

HR & Technology: A Pandemic Love Story

Samantha Badr

 

Hello my beautiful readers! Before we dive into the juice, let’s talk about how my life came full circle last week. For my veterans, you already know how this story began. For our new readers – let’s give a quick refresher. About a year ago, I was at a critical point in my life. I had received my master’s degree in HR and was hungry for the career I had planned for years. I was applying to numerous jobs with no luck. Countless applications and countless denials. I even considered changing my whole career path, but I guess the universe had a different plan for me.

LinkedIn connected me with my ~favorite~ HR professor from Pace University. You guys might know her. Her name is Lisa Stamatelos – the beauty and brains behind LJS HR Services. Of course I seized the opportunity to reach out for advice or any reason to give HR one last chance before I threw in the towel. Could’ve been LinkedIn or could’ve been sheer luck. Either way, Lisa saw my potential and took me in – giving me this platform to call home, while expanding my knowledge and love for HR along the way.

So, when Lisa asked me to speak to Pace students about HR, I couldn’t have said YES, any quicker. Speaking to the same class that sparked my interest in HR to begin with. That’s when I realized I made it. Life really came full circle. Just one short year ago I was lost, but now I’m more motivated than ever before. Let’s give a shout out to our savior, our president, Lisa! I owe this all to you. To her students – thank you for laughing at my jokes, but also for giving me the opportunity to speak to you and give some heartfelt advice. It means so much to me, and hopefully you will continue to follow my journey.

Now, let’s get into the good stuff, and the topic of Lisa’s class – HR Trends in 2022. It’s no secret that our world has been shaken the past two years. Everything you thought you knew – changed. Organizations completely shifted and altered their procedures, policies, hiring practices, and more. At the forefront of it all – the *star* of the show has been technology. Love it or hate it, almost every organization has had to focus on technology since our world turned remote. Below are some of the HR practices that technology has affected, as well as, influenced, the years to follow:

  • HRIS systems: Losing access to the office meant losing access to hundreds of the paper files that HR needs to onboard/offboard staff, process payroll and benefits, draft job contracts, etc. Organizations had to either invest in a new HRIS system altogether, or utilize the functions of their existing platforms. Paper forms are an endangered species, and recruiting or other HR functions have now been transferred to online filing systems.
  • Teamwork and collaboration: Now that the paperwork has been established, how has teamwork changed? Organizations had to be creative and find ways for staff to continue collaborating on projects, without sacrificing the quality of the work. Que in the Microsoft Teams and Zoom platforms. These modules supply the luxury of scheduling webcam meetings or providing shared screen options to work on projects with teammates – all while still harboring some type of real-time human connection.
  • Hybrid working model: Now that we’ve established a way to bring coworkers together, how can you expect employees to come back into the office when they’ve been enjoying their Zoom meetings on the couch? Organizations might want to consider a hybrid working model, where employees split time between home and the office or continue working remotely altogether. One thing is for sure – if you want employees back in the office, you better sweeten the deal. Who wants to sit in traffic or spend money on transportation anymore?
  • Performance review modules: If you cannot physically see your staff, how can you judge their performance? The traditional performance review is now a thing of the past. Employees are tired of being graded on a scale of 1-5 and attaching their anticipated bonuses to these numbers. I think it’s time to shift the countless hours spent at the end of the year into something more productive. Instead of self-appraisals and yearly meetings with your supervisor, how about trying to have more frequent check-ins with staff. Try setting company-specific and personal development goals at the beginning of the year. Grade an employee’s progression to these set goals, and reward them for meeting their deadlines.
  • Recruitment strategies: Face-to-face interviews are now screen-to-screen interviews. How can recruiters judge you if they can’t see the shoes you’re wearing? Organizations – please be creative and start asking the hard questions. Gauge your candidates responses when asking them about their career goals or preferred methods of learning. The good news is that with remote work, you can recruit staff outside of the city the organization is based out of. More applications means more opportunities to find the right fit for your company.
  • Training and development: Now that we’ve hired the new staff, how has training and development changed? Not every employee will be tech-savvy. Everyone has different learning styles. Be sure to create user-friendly directions for all staff – senior management positions, or not. It’s important that everyone knows how to clock in their hours, access training materials, etc. Set aside some time to work with employees if they are having technical difficulties. The extra attention matters.
  • Employee retention: So, you have recruited, onboarded, and trained new and/or existing employees. Now what? You must work to keep them! Consider your total rewards packages and make some adjustments. PTO is not the hottest reward anymore. How about flextime? How about a Zoom happy hour? Maybe a virtual mural board in which employees can add their feedback or ideas for engagement programs. Involve your staff in your decision-making. I promise it will go a long way.

We’re two months into 2022 – what has your organization implemented thus far? It’s definitely not too late to plan some changes this year. Employees have become unmotivated and disengaged from staring at their computer screens all day. Make their day better by providing support or rewarding them without warning. Ask your employees how they are really doing.

One inspiring question I received from a Pace student was “how has the pandemic changed/shaped HR”? My answer is this – HR is no longer just the gatekeeper for your emergency contact form or timesheet. HR has been completely revolutionized. HR is now considered a business partner and vital in making management decisions. There’s so much more to HR than paperwork. We are now the gatekeepers of change. Move over everyone – HR is coming in HOT this 2022.

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“How Can HR Help?” – Part I
May 18, 2021 Business, General, Human Resources, News, Social, Technology, Uncategorized No comments yet

“How Can HR Help?” – Part I

Samantha Badr 

 

Welcome back, my lovely audience. I decided to switch things up this time around with a new segment called “How Can HR Help?” – because sometimes we just need a little break from all the research and the numbers. This is a place where we can come together as human beings and vent about office culture and how we can make our 9-5’s just a little more bearable. I asked some of you guys across all social media platforms to message me with any workplace-related concerns that you might want some advice on. Well, here it goes…

A little backstory – I received a message from someone about their current workplace practices and their downfalls. After pondering further, I have summed up the situation in the following points:

  • All employees are working from home (WFH)
  • Office staff consists of 16 employees (including the manager)
  • Office Manager hired 2.5 years ago
  • New hires: 4 employees hired within the last year
  • 9/16 employees have worked 10+ years
  • 2/16 employees have worked 4+ years
  • 11/16 employees trained one way, while 4/16 were taught something different
  • Tasks are hard to complete, resulting in employee conflicts

The main takeaway from this scenario is that all employees work differently. How can an office run effectively if all employees are not on the same page? If we think of this office’s job tasks as steps to a ladder – if one step is missed or not stable, then everyone can come crumbling down. At what point do we look at management as the sole perpetrator? For starters, these are just my opinions and if there are genuine concerns with your co-workers and/or manager, it is best to reach out to HR to address any issues you may have.

As for my advice – it’s hard for a manager to step into a new position with 15 new employees. However, it is even harder if you do not find ways to engage with your staff. I was told that this manager did not have a welcome meeting, or any meeting with the whole staff, at all. This left senior staff discouraged and often disappointed with office culture – resulting in tension amongst new and older employees.

Another key issue was the training. It seems that the former manager trained the office staff in one way, and the new manager just hired 4 new employees and taught them the basics. Yes, I’m sure everyone is competent enough to fill their roles, but the lack of communication only makes matters worse. It is not the employee’s job to come to a consensus with their co-workers about how certain tasks should be done.

Sorry “new” manager, but it’s been 2.5 years. It’s time to step up for your staff because they need you! Office culture is based on teamwork and collaborative projects, but this staff wasn’t set up for success. My recommendation is this – WFH already has its challenges, don’t add to them. The pandemic has sparked creative ideas around the world, so it’s never too late to reignite the fire in your staff. Unfortunately, employee burnout will be the result if nothing changes.

The good thing is that your employees still care. People want to do a good job. Start by finding a way to have all staff engage with each other on a personal level, such as “happy hour” on zoom or any other platform. As for training – start somewhere. If it seems too overwhelming to start from scratch, enlist the help of your staff to make some templates in a shared document drive, where everyone can see examples of how certain tasks or documents need to be created. This will go a long way.

My closing thoughts – good luck! Keep voicing your opinion to your manager and you might see some change happen.

Hope this advice helped. Stay tuned for next time.

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Shifting Workforce Strategies Post COVID-19
April 7, 2021 Business, General, Human Resources, News, Social, Technology, Uncategorized 1 comment

Shifting Workforce Strategies Post COVID-19

Samantha Badr

 

Congratulations, you’ve survived the first four months of 2021! We’re a third of the way through the new year and yet we are still learning how to adjust to this pandemic. Vaccinations have been distributed and many businesses have begun to open their doors. Some organizations are continuing to work from home (WFH) for the remainder of the year, but what happens after? Many employees had to incorporate new daily tasks into their workday, while many have had to learn new skillsets altogether.  It is crucial that the HR department start preparing for the transition back into the office – making workforce planning the top of their to-do list.

For my audience that is not familiar with HR terminology, workforce planning is the process an organization uses to analyze its workforce and determine the steps it must take to prepare for future staffing needs. LinkedIn’s 2020 Workplace Learning Report reveals that 99% of learning and development executives believe if skill gaps are not closed within the next three to five years, that customer satisfaction could plummet – as well as product development and the company’s ability to innovate and grow. LinkedIn’s report also states that 57% of talent developers will focus on leadership and management skills, 42% on creative problem solving, and 40% on communication skills.

As for the HR department, you are in my thoughts and prayers. It seems like the work never ends! In 2020, safety and adjusting to WFH was the priority, now comes the best part of 2021 – putting all the broken pieces back together. Good thing the HR department is here to save the day. The first task at hand is to expand the ability to operate in a fully digital environment. All employees will need to brush up on their technological skills. This will ensure that they feel comfortable with their job tasks and maintain seamless contact with clients, partners, and suppliers. When returning to the office it is essential that employees are encouraged to seek help with any new systems – whether that includes training programs or open dialogue with co-workers or supervisors.

The next step is further developing cognitive skills for redesign and innovation. With remote work as the reality for over a year, HR managers were forced to demonstrate these skills in an autonomous environment. Keeping employees retained was a project in itself, now organizations have to re-think all their previous strategies to remain innovative. It’s imperative that companies remain creative by adjusting their problem-solving skills to manage projects if some employees or clients are still working remotely.

Social and emotional skills are next on the to-do list. Companies have to maintain their professional ties and grow new client relationships – all while supporting their employees in the process. The HR department, as well as organizational leaders, in particular, might need to develop their skills moving forward. Communication and interpersonal skills need to be worked on, making sure that empathy is at the top of the list. Our economy might be struggling, but we’re all in this together. Leading with sympathy and compassion might restore any hope lost during the pandemic.

The biggest skill to consider is the ability to adapt and be resilient during COVID-19 and beyond. Organizations should use the last year as a source for learning on building self-awareness, self-confidence, and self-reliance. Be transparent with your staff, let them know that you are aware that certain practices can be enhanced and that the company will support each other through the process. Managing time, boundaries, and mental space could use room for improvement in the upcoming year.

As for the HR department, the months to follow should focus on workforce planning strategies. Taking a look within can help companies redefine their purpose or mission, outline their future potential, and shift their perspective to move confidently into the future. The recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic might be a long one, but we’re almost there!!! Challenges keep life exciting, after all. Reflect, recommit, re-engage, rethink, and reboot – let’s get through these next few months and continue to thrive. Good luck.

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All You Need to Know About WFH
February 1, 2021 Business, General, Human Resources, News, Social, Technology, Uncategorized 1 comment

All You Need to Know About WFH

Samantha Badr

 

Welcome back to another blog! In this installment of all things HR, I will be talking about the biggest drama of 2021 – working from home (WFH) versus working in the office.

In a time where it seems that everyone is WFH, it’s hard to picture life prior to the pandemic. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2018, only 14% of employees worked from home five days a week. Two short years later, that number tripled. These days employees are able to work a full shift in their pajamas, but how long can this luxury last?

An employee survey conducted by leadership and communications consultancy, The Grossman Group, showed that 48% of employees working from home say they’d like to keep it that way. The consensus among family and friends is that WFH was the only positive of last year, further verifying these survey results. If staying at home wasn’t incentive enough, employees can save between $2,500 and $4,000 on travel expenses if they WFH. However, WFH is not for everyone. For some employees, it makes their job a bit harder. Collaborative projects leave employees relying heavily on technology to keep in touch with their co-workers. While some find that they can work better at home, it’s a distraction for others. If employees are too “laissez-faire” during the workday – it can leave them scrambling to finish their tasks at night, eliminating the barrier between work and home life.

Though the long-term effects of WFH are unknown, some employers are choosing to look on the bright side. In an interview with CNBC, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook expects “up to half of their 48,000 employees to work remotely within five to ten years”. Facebook conducted an employee survey and found that many workers indicated an interest in WFH, and Zuckerberg saw the potential benefits of letting employees shift away from their offices. Even if employers are undecided on WFH, shifting to remote work can cut down on real estate costs. A typical employer can save about $11,000 a year for every person who works remotely even half of the time, according to Global Workplace Analytics. If companies can save money by downsizing their offices, they might begin to encourage employees to WFH.

Still, some employers do not agree with keeping WFH permanent. They fear that collaboration between employees suffers without face-to-face communication. Since WFH became a reality, company culture has shifted, and many companies had to find new ways to retain their employees. Another reason some employers do not back WFH is a lack of trust in their staff to complete tasks without supervision. A manager at a customer service agency might find that supervising their employees during the workday ensures they answer more phone calls.

The “Working from Home versus Working in the Office” debate has sparked discussions among employers and employees across the board. I recently had a conversation with two people that had differing opinions on WFH. I interviewed an HR professional, who said that the employees at her organization wanted to WFH, while their employer disagreed. The employees voiced their opinion to their manager, ensuring higher productivity and a safer environment if they WFH for the time being. However, their employer continues to mandate that they come into the office, even when corporate employees remain at home – leaving the rest of the staff very dissatisfied with management.

In another interview, the employees had the opposite viewpoint. They wanted to return to the office, but their boss wants them to WFH. This person had a job that required they have access to hundreds of classified documents. Unfortunately, these documents are in an archive in the main office. The employees are then forced to commute an hour just to obtain the documents they need. When they voiced their concerns to their employer, she stressed that their safety was her number one priority. Even though the staff is made up of only ten employees that have separate offices, their employer still didn’t budge.

Employers should be encouraged to let their employees find where they work best, whether it’s at the office or at home. Surveys say that employee satisfaction has increased or stayed the same since the pandemic started, so should employees have the choice to WFH? Even when offices fully re-open, a lot of employees might start asking to WFH or have partial remote work. If employers start mandating workers to come to the office, employees who are at high risk of contracting the virus may reach out to lawyers to fight their case. Regardless of the outcome – will organizations thrive, or suffer in the long run? Only time can tell.

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