ANALYSTS from the Human Resources Management Association of Jamaica (HRMAJ) have identified a number of new trends in the Jamaican workplace emerging as a result of pandemic conditions and the response of management to handling change.

A response collated by Lois Walters, president, HRMAJ, indicates that the changes are many, with some companies responding with agility, others with resistance, and still others constrained by the straight jacket of company culture.

The HRMAJ has 100 individual members and 50 corporate organisation members with a maximum of five representatives per organisation. There is a Western chapter, a HRMAJ Young Professionals and a chapter at The University of the West Indies.

Walters told the Jamaica Observer that since the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic, leadership in most organisations has had to reallocate resources in light of the pandemic to urgently address the issue of business continuity in the face of lockdowns, curfews and restrictions.

Leaders became agile, responsive, and proactive on behalf of employees. Significantly, HR has been promoted to the strategic table as companies examined the feasibility of flexible/alternative work arrangements and the promotion of work-life balance for some employees.

Walters stated, “The pandemic resulted in uncertainty and a remote workforce. Some HR personnel found themselves in the strategy room leading the charge of keeping their organisations afloat. HR has had to reinvent ourselves, think on our feet, act in the present while figuring out the future and acting faster in shorter time frames.

“In some organisations the strategies are now more inclusive, practical, simple, integrated, and agile. Given the current changes and now the introduction of a hybrid workforce, the HR strategies must consider those at the physical plant and those working remotely.”

Walters asserts that the pandemic has forced organisations to examine their business processes, re-engineer where necessary, design and recraft HR policies, procedures, and processes.

She noted, “HR analytics, which is the gathering together, analysing and reporting workforce data, are now critical to selecting the right HR strategies. Some HR departments have increased their digitalisation of manual records and are using technology-enabled online platforms for workforce planning, recruitment and selection, onboarding, learning and development, training, performance management and management of talent with increased self-service.”

Worker welfare, particularly employees’ health and safety, have become paramount for organisations, given the impact of the pandemic.

The Disabilities Act, taking effect on February 14, 2022, has added to the greater focus on worker welfare. Some organisations have retrofitted their offices while others have supported home offices.

Some organisations are demonstrating their interest in their staff welfare by encouraging work-life balance through flexible work arrangements. Others are hampered by traditional organisational cultures and so the interest appears more muted.

The HR executive says that size has had some impact on leadership response. “It depends on the resources (human, financial, physical, technology, etc) that are available to the company.

“Some organisations undertake readiness assessments for particular HR projects so that they will be able to know what provisions would need to be in place.”

One negative, which the HR leader acknowledged, was that many leaders having adapted to the existing cultures of the organisations prior to the pandemic, are now resistant to the change that the pandemic has brought.

She said, “Some are unaware of their roles as active and visible change sponsors and therefore how to act and participate in the change process resulting in greater change resistance and some work cultures slow to positively respond to change.”