Holistic HR - Part II: Socially Distant and Staying Relevant

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Carving a Path for 2021

It is said that silence is death, and that no news is good news. I have to say that I have been like many of us: affected in one way of another by Covid, being socially distant within relevancy. New resolutions? At least, carving a new path... in this icy cold world full of hot topics. It is not easy: it takes daring and willingness.
 
The new year - already not feeling so new by now - has to be better in many ways, because it is practically a call to duty. What the pandemic has brought to us is not isolation but the exposure to a global environment that could reveal itself to be highly toxic, as well as the possibility of exacerbation of some situations of at-risk people. As we advance into 2021 we see the emergence of Wellbeing vs. Wellness verbiage because if anything last year has brought to light, it is the awareness of the importance of mental health.  This is more than ever a reason to understand and embrace that the whole person comes to work, online or onsite. And yes, indeed, mental health is more than relevant. We are called to duty, to clear the way for a holistic HR .
 
We talk a lot about the HR trends for 2021. In this context, a couple of them stand out. And it is the new HR path: narrow; a cold war on hot topics.

Empathy: A Tool for better Connectivity and Effectiveness for HR

One trend that I trust to last  is empathy. But it is also a must for HR people, according to Chicago-based Arlene S. Hirsch, MA, LCP. One could think that empathy is a soft skill. It is not. Empathy is not new to HR. It has just gained renewed relevancy in today's world. Now, it is considered as a business skill, and better yet: it can be learnt. Empathy helps you connect with your people, better understand and handle more pointy issues such as sexual harassment, ally technology such as Twitter, text messages, and Instagram and the likes, as communication tools for performance-reaching as well as connectivity tool, in real time. 
In these times of Covid and rethinking of work, as we might gravitate towards a permanent or semi-permanent remote way of working, empathy becomes crucial. Online tools allow us to show empathy through Zoom, Slack, Skype or whatever instant communication technology tool we use. The same is true if we work onsite. We have to learn to communicate with our eyes, through our masked faces.  
In sum, social distancing should not be an impediment to empathy and effectiveness of HR, because HR is above all about people.

Enhanced Focus: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The New Year is bringing to light the need for a stronger, if not redirected focus on Diversity and Inclusion. Going forward, Diversity and Inclusion is to stay and morph into a formal consideration of societal issues that no workplace can ignore. Today, Generational stereotypes, Gender Equality and Identities, Racial Equity issues point to an open conversation on unconscious biases in the workplace. While Diversity and Inclusion initiatives have existed within organizations, they were embryonic, if not mimicking PR-like stunts and stayed superficial. And this maybe because those issues have never openly been addressed in the larger society. Since turning a blind eye on those matters is no longer a viable alternative, 2021 will differ, and now we see the morphing of the program into Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or, as it best suits to a given organization.
By relevancy, the need for a more open conversation on systemic bias has been brought to the table. Some EEOC references here. A SHRM guidance here. 
 

Puisque C'est Trop, Considérons le Tout

 
Ah! Comme on dit c'est tout ou rien! Maintenant c'est absolument valable pour l'approche que les RH devraient prendre. Car nous sommes en 2021: le monde a visiblement changé et l'a crié à tue-tête!  
 
Les différences? Réelles, immenses, et l'on ne peut plus fermer les yeux ni continuer à se boucher les oreilles. Car  les stéréotypes sur les générations, les questions d’égalité et d' identité des personnes, l'injustice raciale, c'est pas du bluff.  
 
Alors, d'un: la sympathie, ça suffit plus. Il faut comprendre pour de bon, se mettre dans les souliers des gens. Ça, c'est le nouveau RH, celui qui est cool et de bon ton. Puisque la santé mentale de tous a pris un bon coup, vraiment. Maintenant, les RH ont besoin de faire preuve d'empathie. 

Et de deux, regardons autour de nous: le monde a évolué. Non, il n'a pas changé. C'est simplement de nouvelles perspectives, bon gré, mal gré, il faut y faire face. Ce n'est plus notre petite communauté: c'est partout ailleurs aussi. Alors, inéluctable : les boîtes doivent penser Diversité, Justice et Inclusion. Car les différences innées, cela ne devrait pas entrainer différence systématique de traitement. Nous devons apprendre à corriger et comprendre tout biais de jugement en tant que RH. Ok, ce n'est pas donné. Mais à cœur vaillant, rien d' impossible.

Alors, bonjour 2021! L’ère des RH de bon ton: empathique et transculturel, c' est l' air du temps...

This post has been updated Feb. 8, 2021

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