June 2, 2020
We recently conducted a COVID-19 impact survey to gauge the effect this pandemic has had on the working lives of those across North America and Europe. We also asked respondents about the preparations their organizations are making beyond COVID-19. We’ve highlighted some of the key takeaways below.
Remote Work
90% of respondents revealed their organizations have all or some staff working from home or remotely. Most respondents (86%) agreed that due to the changes to remote working policies, their companies would be more likely to adopt flexible and agile working practices even after COVID-19 is under control.
HR Reputation
Overall, 69% of those surveyed said the reputation of their HR function was enhanced either “somewhat” or “very much” by the work it’s done with regard to COVID-19. Interestingly, 75% of HR professionals feel the reputation has been enhanced “somewhat” or “very much,” compared to only 48% of non-HR professionals.
Leadership Response
A little more than half of the respondents rated their leadership’s effectiveness with respect to dealing with COVID-19 as “excellent” (51%), with 39% ranking it as “adequate.” Fewer non-managerial staff rated leadership’s effectiveness as “excellent” (38%) than managerial staff (55%) and board level and C-suite executives (70%).
Top Concerns Regarding Recovery
The top concerns reported by respondents were: employee mental health and well-being (27%), preventing job losses (20%) and business continuity and preparedness planning for the future (19%). Board-level and C-suite executives also cited the “digitization of processes to enable remote working and long-term business viability” and being unable to ramp up quickly enough to meet a surge in demand.
Impact on Employment Brand
More than half of respondents (55%) believe their company’s employment brand will improve based on their leadership’s response to COVID-19, while 28% of non-managerial staff feel their company’s employment brand will be negatively impacted as a result.
Hiring Outlook
71% of respondents expect hiring to increase within six months of lockdowns being lifted, while 63% of the HR and TA professionals who responded noted their teams are actively preparing to start hiring again. Top initiatives include building talent pipelines (67%), streamlining or redefining hiring processes (54%) and optimizing talent acquisition technology (53%).
To download a PDF version of these key insights, click here.
