The 2nd Vice President of the Ghana Employers Association (GEA), Mrs Victoria Hajar, has stated that COVID-19 has made Human Resource (HR) management more relevant in the running of businesses.
She said the global pandemic has made normal management of employees impossible at workplaces, adding that this new challenge calls for innovation in the development and management of human resources that can still function if a similar situation arises in the future.
She said the challenge has presented opportunities for human resource personnel to sharpen the skills of their employees to achieve maximum output with new ways of delivering duties.
Mrs Hajar made these remarks at the launch of the virtual 6th Women in HR Conference held in Accra on the theme: “HR Leadership for the ‘New Normal.”
According to her, the pandemic has challenged employers and employees to amend employment policies to benefit both parties in crisis times.
The duties of HR management have now expanded from employee relations, benefits and recruiting to include new roles such as acting as diplomats, nurses and regulatory experts, she said.
She added that COVID-19 has made HR managers and leaders advocators for various groups in workplaces trying to find the best practices that suit all parties.
“Besides, HR managers and leaders are now providing resources that will help keep employees at ease, safe and productive,” she added
She advised HR practitioners to build capacity in emotional intelligence to deal with the psychological challenges caused by the pandemic, saying, “we need to create the right environment for workers to understand themselves emotionally and be able to find the right balance between their personality and their work demands.”
Constance Evans-Kekrebesi & Geraldo Amartey, ISD
