[vc_row][vc_column][stm_spacer height=”90″ height_mobile=”-100″][vc_custom_heading source=”post_title” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:center|color:%233f3f3f” google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”14352″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][stm_separator color=”custom” style=”style_3″ custom_color=”#0d97ff” sep_width=”200px” sep_height=”10px” sep_css=”.vc_custom_1571309810608{margin-top: 20px !important;}”][vc_raw_html]JTVCRElTUExBWV9VTFRJTUFURV9TT0NJQUxfSUNPTlMlNUQ=[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]The global health pandemic has compelled numerous organizations worldwide to shift from office setup to telecommuting or more popularly known as work from home (WFH). A then-privilege offered to employees once a week for select companies, the WFH setup has now become permanent (depending on the companies) where individuals are expected to carry out their job responsibilities within the confines of their homes.
Pre-pandemic, only 52% of Filipinos are on a remote work setup but this figure immediately rose to 85% at the height of COVID-19’s spread.. The quick paradigm shift has required members of the Human Resources to creatively find ways on how they can continuously engage and look after the welfare of their employees as everyone marches toward the new normal era.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Dealing with difficulties
Being in uncharted territory, the new normal presented a series of difficulties to Human Resources. This is led by:
- shifting from traditional to a full-time remote work setup,
- quick technological adoption and deployment to employees,
- maintaining an open communication to employees’ woes, and,
- providing them holistic well-being protection.
Uploan’s very own Vice President for People and Culture, Fleur Saguid, shared that at first, it was really difficult to touch base with every single employee located across the country. “We know you guys are scattered in the city and in the country even; so how do we make sure that you feel the engagement, you feel the kind of service that the People Team serves. Not just us at Uploan, but all HRs around the world have gotten so much more creative,” said the guest speaker for “Level Up! Podcast” where she thoroughly discussed workplace wellness.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Crafting creative solutions
To be able to fully address pressing issues in the HR management sphere, it is very important to know the major pillars that constitute HR practices in the new normal.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Pillar 1: Technological tools provided to employees.
Digitalization in Human Resources is moving at a very rapid speed. Creating an effective work environment in the digital space–such as setting up file repositories, tasks monitoring, collaborative tools among teams, and digital timesheets among others–are the primary steps every organization must have done early on. If businesses do not want to get disrupted by this quick change, they must be able to recognize the need to disrupt to quickly adapt. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Pillar 2: Employee experience.
Amping up the experience of employees is needed to make the people feel that they are valued, their contributions are recognized, and that their opinions are heard. HR personnel can establish virtual employee events, recognition ceremonies, and socializations so that they’ll feel involved despite not being physically present with their colleagues. Nothing will ever work if employees are demotivated, unhealthy, unrecognized, and do not understand the role they are playing in the organization. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Pillar 3: Upskilling employees’ capabilities.
People in the Human Resources must find ways to develop their team members’ capabilities because remote work shall be an entirely normal thing in the future. Apart from the technical know-how, employees must be able to master soft skills such as flexibility, adaptability, and collaborative teamwork. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Pillar 4: Manpower’s physical and mental wellness.
In the beginning of 2020, when most people are adjusting to remote work, many have expressed their stress due to the delineation of boundaries between work and personal life. Luckily, a number of organizations have listened to this grievance and found ways to deload some members of the workforce. But in the future, these same employees may probably experience online fatigue where they may feel worn out and trapped into being available for work every single day. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]For Fleur Saguid, her team intentionally finds ways to find out how they can implement wellness programs for Uploan’s employees. Being able to destress, relax, and get their mind off of work through virtual group workouts, availability of mental health experts, and recognition ceremonies meshed in town hall meetings are some of the activities they carry out.
“Everyday our objective is to make employees feel that we absolutely care, that we’re here for everyone, especially during this time of pandemic,” Fleur remarked.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The permanence of WFH
Internationally, companies such as Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Square, Facebook, Dropbox, and Slack among others have announced that telecommuting is now permanent. While the country hasn’t fully recovered from the coronavirus situation, organizations are keen on keeping the remote work setup as long as needed. Former Chief Executive Officer of IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines Rey Untal also shared that “hybrid work may persist until 2026.” Almost 50% of Filipinos also expressed their preference of maintaining a WFH setup according to a May 2021 study.
The end of the pandemic is nowhere in sight. With this in mind, members of the Human Resources continuously push forward to create and innovate ways on how they can creatively provide their services to their employees despite the situation we are all currently facing. What most people must remember is that we are almost halfway through reaching the peak of breaking virtual barriers among employees. We should support our respective HR departments during these pivotal, revolutionary moments. The HR practices of today are the foundations upon which we build the reshaped Human Resources and the workplace of the future.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]JTVCRElTUExBWV9VTFRJTUFURV9TT0NJQUxfSUNPTlMlNUQ=[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=”yes” shadow_x_offset=”0″ shadow_y_offset=”0″ shadow_blur=”0″ shadow_spread=”0″][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]