What Will A Post COVID-19 World Look Like?

Like it or not, we are at a significant moment in time. We will soon (hopefully) be working in a Post COVID-19 world, but the changes will be dramatic. If the current state of technology, automation, talent scarcity and education were fronts in the HR Perfect Storm, let’s consider COVID-19 the unplanned asteroid. We’re about to undergo a hard reset on all that we know. Tom Peter’s book “Re-imagine” written after 9/11, could be a guide to how we proceed. His words ring true today: “It is the foremost task — and responsibility – of our generation to re-imagine our enterprises and institutions, public and private.” It’s unfathomable to understand what changes will occur in our organizations, but one thing is for sure, HR will be at the center of most of it. Let’s look at a few things that I see have already changed and may forever be changed as it relates to the HR and Talent.
We’re all virtual now. If there was any doubt that virtual meetings and remote work are “good enough” I think we’ve found out how effective and imaginative we can be. Many organizations have made rapid and successful transitions to a full remote workforce. In the process, pressure testing tools like Zoom and WebEx show they are not novelties but now Business Continuity essentials. On the lighter side, Linkedin is full of the “Brady Bunch” screen shots from department meetings, team building events (Happy Hours) to even birthdays and sing-alongs. While not all equal, those without remote infrastructures have been able to transition much faster than imagined. We are also seeing time bend in ways that we never could imagine. With most at home with family, there are no soccer games or dance lessons to schedule around. Time Management is more essential than ever as a normal 9 to 5 / weekend life is not the current time construct. Make sure to take time for yourself and family.
Operating models are changing faster than you can change your socks these days. Shifting to a remote workforce quickly was important for the health and safety of employees. But now in the rush to move people, the organizations must change as well. When you consider the amount of planning that was done for Fiscal Year 2020 just a few short months ago, it’s clear those plans are completely out of date. We’re seeing changes in strategy, personnel, process even products happening in real-time. It is inspiring to see how many industries are shifting their production lines so quickly to support Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) needs for medical professionals. Consider the people and processes that were needed to mobilize and make these changes happen. What were acceptable timelines for decisions and responses pre-COVID, now seem unacceptable in today’s world.
Compliance overall will become a way of life for everyone. If you thought the annual anti-harassment or anti-corruption courses were a chore every other year, prepare for much, much more. At one point in my career I attended a meeting on an energy company campus. I was asked to complete an online safety training course prior to arrival. Admittance was only granted upon presentation of my completion certificate to the guard. Consider this example times an “x” factor for hygiene and social distancing practices going forward. You may soon be required to complete a “Pandemic Hygiene Course” prior to visiting some destinations. The potential impact to the travel and hospitality world is just mind boggling. What new levels of hygiene, protection and sanitation will be required between flights, hotel stays and car rentals. And of course with each change, prepare for the onslaught of training to follow.
A perfect example of this “new norm” happened on my latest run for groceries. There is an entirely new way to check out. I refer to it as the “kabuki dance” of sorts as I, the cashier and bagger all make moves to ensure proper distancing as the items are scanned, loaded and purchased. Everyone has been pleasant in instructing how to follow this new way, but I could easily see this as an instructional precursor to entry with a required 30 second demo of safe protocols (such as the kabuki) that must be followed for grocery stores, restaurants and even businesses.
HR will never be the same. If only this were just a Perfect Storm, HR is being impacted in much more dramatic ways through this pandemic. The volume of employee movement from furloughs to rehires, reskilling, grief counseling, sick leave, rewriting remote work policies and of course compliance are going to reshape how HR operates going forward. Every aspect of decision making will be reviewed for timeliness as well as relevancy under the whole new lens of the Pandemic. The lessons we have learned through this experience may be considered operating policy moving forward. In many ways this is a hard reset to see what is essential and what is just noise. Take advantage of this time unlike any in our recent history. Take those walks, finish those household projects, or learn a new skill. Be safe and God Speed.