International Journal of Business and Management Invention (IJBMI)

ISSN (Online): 2319-8028, ISSN (Print):2319-801X

www.ijbmi.org || Volume 9 Issue 6 Ser. IV || June 2020 || PP 39-42

Impact of Covid-19 on HRM Functions

S.Vasanthi, Dr.S.RabiyathulBasariya
Research Scholar, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai
Dept.of Accounting and Finance, College of Administration and Economics, Labanese French University, Erbil

ABSTRACT: Any organisation depends on their Human Resource Management (HRM) team to get the right
talented man power and retain the right skilled team for the growth of the organisation and yield the profit in
the business. The importance for the HRM team is increasing day by day during this pandemic. The role of the
HRM team before and after pandemic is discussed in this paper.
KEY WORDS: Covid-19, pandemic, HRM functions, work from home
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------
Date of Submission: 13-06-2020 Date of Acceptance: 29-06-2020
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------

I. INTRODUCTION
Any organisation irrespective of its size, will rely on the HR team to attract and retain the right talented
resources to contribute towards achieving the organization’s goals. This team always gives the priority to the
wellbeing of the employees and ensures the right working environment to make them comfortable at working
place in turn to achieve the maximum output from them.
At present, many of the major cities are in lockdown due to Covid-19 where the end of the pandemic is
not predictable. This is affecting all the employees as they cannot travel to the offices. Thus it is the
responsibility of HR team to provide the possibilities to the employees to work from home and deliver the
maximum.The impact of Covid-19 on the world’s economy had become massive from the month of January
2020. This resulted in the loss of jobs, downfall in the income of the employees as well as in the businesses.

Objectives
 To discuss the role of Human Resources team in an organisation
 To discuss the changing functions of HRMduring Covid-19

II. LITERATURE REVIEWS

Armstrong (1987) sees HRM as ‘old wine in new bottles’ and argues that HRM has been a replacement
of the term personnel management in organizations. Storey (1995) statesthat HRM is a distinctive approach to
employment management to achievethe advantage through the strategic deployment of a highly committed and
capable workforce, using an integrated array of cultural, structural and personnel techniques.
Murthi (2006) explained the role of HR manager in the changing scenario as crucial to face the
challenges of globalization, liberalization, cost effectiveness and profit maximization.The present day aim is
survival of the fittest. To face the challenges in the world today we need constant changes in skills, attitudes and
knowledge. This can be achieved only by the training department of an organisation. This can pave the way for
industrial prosperity in the business world. The development of Human Resource is the key to the business
survival and business success. All companies must look towards developing a more highly skilled workforce to
cultivate specialist skills in new areas and to attain a higher level of basic education and training. Training is a
route to quality performance.
Purang (2006) compared the human resource management perceptions of middlelevel managers of five
Indian organisations operating in different sectors. Two of them are public sector organisations, the two are
private sector and fifth one is a multinational organisation. The study hypothesized that the human resource
development climate perceptions of the managers in the private and multinational organisations would be more
positive than in the public sector. Bharathi (2009) explained the value of HR functions in business and its impact
on higher productivity, enhanced quality, better customer service, good industrial relations and lower cost which
influence the profitability of an organisation. Effective HR practices could play important role in achieving all
the above said factors.

DOI: 10.35629/8028-0906043942 www.ijbmi.org 39 | Page

 Impact of Covid-19 on HRM Functions

III. THE FUNCTIONS OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Human Resource Management(HRM) in any organisation will have to play multiple roles which will be in line
with the organisation goals. Different functions of HRM are shown in the fig.1

Fig.1. HRM Functions

 Planning
Planning is an important task of HRM to analyse the job requirements and skills and talents needed to meet the
requirements. As a part of the planning, the HRM should estimate the number of resources needed, should be
able to assess the skills and knowledge of the job seekers and should be able to evaluate the employees’
performance.
 Staffing
Selection of Human resources by using different recruitment methods is called staffing. It is a primary function
of HR department. The recruitment should be done without discriminating based on the race, sex or religion.
Recruitment should be purely based on the talent and skills.
 Developing
The employees are to be trained to develop professionally. HR department should arrange for trainings,
seminars and conferences and insist the employees to attend and get benefitted.
 Motivating
It is the role of the HR management to identify the factors that are demotivating the employees and take action
convert those factors to motivate the employees. The motivated employees will deliver the maximum. Few of
the factors that motivates the employees are good working environment, pay without discrimination and
providing the brand value to the employees.
 Managing Change
The effective HRM should manage the change effectively whether the change is internal or external. This
includes in engaging the employees to put maximum efforts, implementing any required change in multiple
phases and communicating the change to the employees and management in an effective manner.
 Maintaining relationships
The relationship between the managemnnt, HRM and employees should be smooth and avoid the conflicts. HR
department is responsible to maintain such a good relationship. This will avoid the psychological pressure and
demotivation among the employees and make them to stay motivated.
 Evaluation
The HRM should evaluate the quality and accuracy of the work done by the employees. Should check whether
all the employees are meeting the deadlines. The skills in delivering the work, in communicating with co
employees are to be evaluated in specific intervals
 Appraisal
The performance of the employees should be monitored to assess and implement the pay revisions according to
their performance. Standards for the performance are to be defined by HRM and that are to be communicated to
all the employees and also should motivate them to improve their performance.

DOI: 10.35629/8028-0906043942 www.ijbmi.org 40 | Page

 Impact of Covid-19 on HRM Functions

IV. CHANGING ROLES OF HRM DURING COVID-19

The novel coronavirus pandemic, known as Covid-19 made us remain vulnerable and also taught us to
face such challenges in future. Its impact is affecting the economy all over the world. Businesses are not running
and hence not making money due to the lockdown. If they are not producing, there will not be any sales and thus
no income either to management or to employees. The impact depends upon the type of business. Certain
businesses are closed completely. Certain businesses like food processing, digital payments, e-learning and
online media etc are surviving and creating more job opportunities.
Organisations took the step to define new strategies to get the work done instead of layoffs, furloughs
and shutdowns. Protecting the health and safety of the employees has gained the priority for the orgnaisations.
Covid-19 taught us to utilise the technological advances effectively and integrated into the work culture
of the organisations. This helped a lot to face the crisis. At this situation the HRM played a major role by
defining the work from home facility. HRM is implementing certain short term and long term measures
whatever suits their work culture and current requirements. The traditional HRM functions are changed due to
this current measures.
Few of the measures implemented by HRM are explained below.
 Employee and employer relationship
The employer should clearly communicate to the employees on the vision on the organisation during this tough
situation and assure them that both employee and employers should work together to move forward and to get
benefit for both of them. They should be informed that their health and safety is important to the management.
HRM educated the employees on safety protocols, emergency numbers, hygiene practices and few organisations
conducted online yoga and meditation classes to handle the mental stress and motivated them.
 Flexibility and creativity
The attributes demonstrated by HRM during the work from home are flexibility and creativity. The employees
are made to login remotely from their homes. The brick and mortar offices transformed to virtual work places.
HRM had taken relevant measures to make the work from home comfortable to the employees. They are
supported with desktops, laptops, data cards etc to ensure that they can work without interruptions. The other
measures taken to motivate the employees are hosting virtual coffee chats, conducting daily team video
discussions and getting updates on progress of the work.
 Recruitment
The work from home concept and minimal staff at work place will continue for some more time as the social
distancing is to be maintained. This will affect the recruitment process of HRM. The recruitment will be done
based on digital platform and focusses on the technical skills. Opportunities will be given to the tech-savvies
who will prove their skills in digital work places. On boarding of the new joiners and induction programs will
happen online.
 Reduced infrastructure costs
The work from home concept enables many of the employees to balance both personal and official work. The
costs on the fixed office places has come down drastically and employees are comfortable working remotely.
HRM will move towards the technology adoption and digitalisation to perform their regular activities like
attendance, leave policies. The best part of this pandemic is that the organisations are finding new ways to make
the employees productive. More productivity with less workforce has become the mantra of the organisations.
 Identifying key employees
The positive impact of Coronavirus on the organisations is they are able to identify the key workers who are
needed to keep the business running during the crisis. HRM should work without any bias and choose the key
persons and make them understand their importance for the business and motivate them to deliver as per the
requirement.
 Maintaining the work place
HRM should take measures to maintain the work place safe and hygienic for the sake of minimal staff who are
working in the physical office. Fumigating the work place, maintaining the social distancing at work place,
providing hand sanitizers, cleaning the floors etc are to be performed.
 Redefining the compensation
As the work culture and environment is totally changed, the previous policies of compensation may not suit
now. HRM should restructure the policies that links the productivity and performance of the employees.
 Furlough Leave & Compensatory Working:
HRM may implement the furlough leave and inform the employees to go on mandatory leave without
retrenching them. Salary will not be paid during the furlough leave but the employee will have job security.
Once the business comes to normal state, those employees will be brought back to regular pay rolls. The
compensation paid on re-joining will depend upon the importance of the employee to the business and his
productivity.

DOI: 10.35629/8028-0906043942 www.ijbmi.org 41 | Page

 Impact of Covid-19 on HRM Functions

V. CONCLUSION
The current Covid-19 pandemic made the organisation to learn new ways of working styles and
accelerating into the digital world by utilising the advancement in technology. HRM in the organisation has to
implement the measures to run the business without interruptions. These measures will keep the business
running and improving the productivity of the employees. They will have to define a sustainable version of
future.

REFERENCES
[1]. Armstrong, M. (2006). Strategic human resource management: A guide to action (3rd ed.). London: Kogan Page.
[2]. Crail, M. (2006). HR roles and responsibilities 2006: Benchmarking the HR function, IRS Employment Review, 839, 9-15
[3]. Osibanjo, Omotayo&Adeniji, Anthonia. (2012). Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice.
[4]. Vinesh ,Role of Training & Development in an Organizational Development, International Journal of Management and
International Business Studies. ISSN 2277-3177 Volume 4, Number 2 (2014), pp. 213-220
[5]. https://www.operationsinc.com/human-resources/coronavirus-crisis-management-business-preparedness-continuity-services/
[6]. https://www.hrgrapevine.com/content/article/easyrecrue-2020-04-28-after-covid-19-anticipate-the-skills-gap-with-skills-mapping
[7]. https://qz.com/india/1863731/indian-startup-wakefit-says-hr-function-crucial-amid-covid-19/

S.Vasanthi, et. al. "Impact of Covid-19 on HRM Functions." International Journal of Business
and Management Invention (IJBMI), vol. 09(06), 2020, pp. 39-42. Journal DOI- 10.35629/8028

DOI: 10.35629/8028-0906043942 www.ijbmi.org 42 | Page