Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, American companies furloughed workers at an unprecedented rate. Initially, these furloughed employees believed their layoff was just temporary, but now, many of these job losses have become permanent.
In fact, according to the U.S. Labor Department’s September report, 12.6 million people remain unemployed. This situation has prompted furloughed employees to begin revamping their résumés and seeking new opportunities that may be outside their desired career path.
For HR teams, this situation can introduce a multitude of problems. Not only do they have to handle current employees’ concerns, but now they must maintain employee engagement among those who are not actively working, re-recruit the organization’s furloughed workers, and re-onboard team members efficiently.
Like many teams across the organization, HR is also working with a leaner team and being asked to “do more with less.” Fortunately, there are processes and tools you can integrate into your strategy to position your company for a successful rebound.
Prioritize the Return of Top Performers
Although there is the hope for a speedy economic recovery, it seems more likely that HR teams will be gradually rebuilding their workforces. With restricted resources, prioritization is critical.
High-performing employees possess standout qualities that can make a difference in your company, such as increased productivity and the ability to quickly adapt to changing circumstances. SmartRecruiters CEO Jerome Ternyck cites research showing even in low-complexity sectors like hospitality and food service, the difference in productivity between high-performers and the average employee is between 50% and 85%.
Identifying these high-performing employees requires access to data pulled from performance reviews, customer surveys, and even personality assessments.
Streamline HR Workflow with Automation
With many tasks falling to HR professionals, automation is necessary. Traditional HR processes that depend on legacy methods will not work with the mounting list of tasks HR teams are now responsible for.
With modern software solutions, HR teams can revamp the hiring (or rehiring) process, aligning applicants with the positions best suited to them. Beginning the process with a visual-based personality assessment can set candidates on a tailored path through their onboarding (or re-onboarding).
Transitioning HR processes to integrated solutions can greatly assist HR teams as they increase their workload. Throughout employees’ journeys, they leave behind a trail of information in the form of performance reviews, personality assessments, sales numbers, and attendance data; integration of cloud solutions provides a home for this information that is easily accessible and can assist HR teams in making data-driven decisions in the future.
Make the Growth Case to the C-Suite
HR is often perceived as a cost center by C-suite leaders because they do not see the second-order results of HR efforts. What some executives fail to realize is that HR does contribute to growth in the long term. The efforts made by HR teams equip your employees from all levels with the tools they need to do their job efficiently and generate revenue for the organization.
With the increasing number of layoffs and furloughs within the HR department, talent management and acquisition functions of HR in many cases have been merged into one job. Instead of cutting HR, C-suite executives should be investing in its success. Now is the time to look at how technology powers and accelerates your HR functions so you can set the business up for a successful recovery as the world moves into a post-COVID state.
The need for HR professionals has never been more crucial to the success of a company. As organizations fight to bounce back from the economic downturn, it is evident that the HR industry needs a well-equipped and -resourced workforce that can pave the way for recovery within the company.
Supplying HR professionals with the technology tools, policy support, and additional investment requires buy-in from the executive team. Getting an organization back to the state of driving revenue, growth, and employee productivity requires a team effort. By supporting HR teams with the tools and support they need now, companies will be prepared to rehire and deal with the incoming wave of applicants.
Dan Sines is Traitify’s CEO, co-founder, and Chairman of the Board. An entrepreneur to the core, Sines has an extensive background in user experience and graphic design, having managed design firms and previously started a social media marketing and production firm with Josh Spears.
Founded in 2011, Baltimore-based Traitify unlocks the potential of psychology and big data through a visual-based personality assessment that is quick, accurate, and accessible to businesses and entrepreneurial developers. Traitify’s current customers (for its software-as-a-service (SaaS)-based version) include more than 200 organizations in a range of industries. The Traitify team is made up of technology-industry veterans with experience in software, design, and multimedia, as well as an in-house psychology team. For more information, visit www.traitify.com.