Business as normal has changed forever. However, the one thing that has remained the same is that workers, be they remote or at the office in person, will need great human resources to allow your business to return to profitability.
The new normal for business around the globe
The next year or so will be a transition period for all business. The aim accepted by most businesses is that the time for grinding it out is over and now it is important to plot a way forward for the medium to long term. This is the only way that businesses can function and attempt to make good on the losses of the past 18 months.
The main difference that we will all see and should be able to make use of in our businesses is the technological revolution that the pandemic has unleashed. Most analysts say that the technological gains will be sustained and that the more flexible remote way of working will be maintained hereon in.
Shift work in manufacturing will be increased as plants and producers look to maximize social distancing in their operations and changes to factory setups to allow for this will mean less production space available. The same goes for service-oriented industries, but they have been able to harness technology to make use of remote and virtual workspaces.
The way your business adapts to the new normal will depend on how adaptable your human resources are, and, in most cases, you will need a cogent HR solution to ensure that this is the case.
Why a clear HR strategy is crucial
If remote work using the technological advances being made in the 4th industrial revolution is to be realized, businesses will need their best assets and resources to be part of this process. The human element must be on board and feel part of the decisions that will be made in order to maintain productivity. The human component of all business must be at the forefront of any return to work or changes to the mode of production and work itself.
The predominant business risks of the current period are linked to employee wellbeing and health and as such any business that truly puts its people before profits will need to institute clear processes to create new systems of operation that will work to bring business back.
Without a clear people-driven strategy that can generally only be implemented by a professional HR team, it may be difficult to arrive at the best way forward for the business with your staff and employees. They must understand the decision-making process in order to trust you with their lives and livelihoods. The best way to do this is to have a clear human resource strategy as to how staff will be communicated with, how they will be able to engage in decision-making and how they will be able to make their concerns known as to any planned return to normal ways of working.
