HR departments are vital to the success of an organization—and that doesn’t change during a crisis.

“Through a detailed analysis of the business’s operations and personnel’s position within the organization, HR can develop techniques to ensure that the company remains viable even with a minimalist staff present,” says the Forbes Human Resources Council.

During times of change, employees will likely suffer from stress and anxiety. HR departments can employ methods that help guide them through it, including scheduling regular check-ins, providing resources to get help, and offering fun activities.

“Keeping people engaged and informed is always important, but now it is critical to ensure employees feel like they are part of something bigger,” says Forbes Human Resources Council member Lisa Calvert of Justworks.

Times of uncertainty may also bring about new opportunities, and HR can take the time to re-skill employees so that they are ready for new roles. That way, professionals aren’t left behind when their industry changes.

“Work and education will look different post-crisis,” says Forbes Human Resources Council member Yvette Kennedy of Explorance. “Identify future-state skills, conduct gap assessments, and plan for re-skilling and redeploying employees post-economic transformation.”

Inevitably, employees will have questions when the future is uncertain. HR can make it easy on employees by setting up a clear communication system so that they know exactly who to go to for answers.

Why Press Releases Are Still Valuable

As social media algorithms become increasingly unkind towards companies and brands, the effectiveness of an old standard – the press release – has returned to prominence. Here's how to do them right. #communications #marketing #assnchat #eventprofshttps://t.co/hdLeIL0kpJ pic.twitter.com/hliT9atm1w

— Michigan Society of Association Executives (@mymsae) May 19, 2020

There are several new ways for organizations to share important updates, but press releases can still be effective.

“A press release gets its value from its simplicity,” says Wes Sovis on the Michigan Society of Association Executives blog. “As social media platforms’ algorithms have evolved to make it increasingly difficult to carve out organic engagement and views, the press release, and its ability to get news coverage and views in online publications, has seen a rebirth in effectiveness.”

Other Links of Note

Having trouble using a new digital tool for work? Read the guide, suggests Christina Parson on the Zapier blog.

We need future-ready, digital-savvy learning and development teams, says a recent post from Learning Solutions, which offers four ways to develop them.

Using Instagram automation tools can be tricky, argues Christina Newberry on the Hootsuite blog. She breaks down ethical and effective ways to incorporate Instagram automation software into your work.

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