Despite a deluge of negative news surrounding COVID-19, there are a number of positive stories emerging about companies redirecting their workforce towards helping out. According to a recent press release, almost 5,000 different companies have reached out to the Canadian Federal Government, looking to help produce protective equipment for the fight against COVID-19.

Reskilling can be a matter of moving people from one role into another, instead of costly layoffs and retraining once business returns to normal. There is an opportunity for businesses to leverage their current workforce for real social good, but the right structures need to be in place for that to happen. It requires a robust HR response, and we have some tips to get you started.

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If you’ve had to downsize your workforce because of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, your remaining employees may be experiencing survivor syndrome – they are happy to still be employed, but they carry guilt because some of their coworkers were let go. Add to that all of the market uncertainty, public health challenges and having to adapt to new ways of working, and it’s only natural that your employees may be anxious, stressed and distracted. And that can lead to them becoming less engaged with their work.

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For most HR professionals, the global COVID-19 pandemic has been striking and unexpected. However, to varying degrees so were the 2000 dot-com bust, the 2008 Great Recession, the 2015 Chinese stock market crash, and many minor booms and busts in between. And that’s just from the last two decades.

All booms and busts have one thing in common — they don’t last forever. Whether it was Caesar boosting the economy by building roads back in 300 BC, or the US administration printing trillions of dollars today, history has shown us that this too shall pass.

As an HR recruiter who has had the privilege of consulting with remarkable client leaders through 15 years of economic cycles, I’ve seen executives with strong, inspiring visions turn decline into opportunity. With that in mind, here are some tips for hiring the right people during this time of uncertainty.

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If you’ve been one of the many companies that has had to temporarily lay off your employees during the COVID-19 crisis, we feel for you. We have had to make this decision before as well. We have also helped a number of companies with making and executing these difficult decisions.

With the anticipation of being able to bring members of your team back, we recommend implementing an engagement plan that will keep your laid off workforce feeling valued and motivated, encouraging their desire to return to work and helping them navigate this challenging period without work. Here are some valuable elements to consider in an engagement plan.

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