Leadership and the Role of HR in Uncertain Times

In the space of one short month we’ve seen a buoyant business environment dramatically change in an unprecedented and unexpected way.

Whilst the primary focus has rightly shifted to the health and wellbeing of our family, friends and work colleagues, our community leaders and subject matter experts have struggled to agree on a plan and the best way forward.

This uncertainty, combined with misinformation from various media and social sources has undoubtedly compounded individual anxiety, which has subsequently manifested into fear and uncharacteristic behaviour.

So what role do organisational leaders and HR teams have to play?

Without a doubt there are several important roles for leaders. However, one of the most important is to be consistent and truthful in their communication. Organisational messaging from the executive should be aligned across all levels of management and needs to be consistent with the messaging and directives from government subject matter experts. Leaders within your organisation and your HR team must therefore avoid communicating personal beliefs (and fears), including during informal discussions.

Our role as people leaders and HR professionals during these uncertain times must be to manage individual anxiety, strengthen resilience and to provide support to those who find themselves feeling vulnerable both in our workplace and within our communities.

At iHR Australia we’ve received and provided tremendous support to our clients over the past 22 years. If your organisation requires HR assistance or you’d like to discuss your specific workplace challenges informally, please reach out to our team for a confidential discussion.

Over recent years we’ve published many articles, below are a few you may like to revisit;

• The key to managing workplace stress
• Mental health should be a focus
• Leave provision are not straightforward
• Complying with mental health responsibilities