Top 3 CHRO Magazine Features

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In case you missed them, here are the editor’s picks of must-read features published in 2020.

Since the dawn of the Covid-19 pandemic, HR leaders have had an increased responsibility as the custodians of the people agenda. Below are the top three feature articles published in 2020, which address the importance of various decisions that HR has had to consider and their multiplier effect on employees, their families, the communities they come from, and the business itself. 

1 Crisis management

In one article, Deb Hileman, Nicola Kleyn and Inge Walters unpack HR's response to the crisis. They discuss how organisations experienced the fallout from Covid-19 across a wide spectrum, from being completely disrupted and shut down, to continuing at least somewhat as usual, right through to being busier than ever before.

For Deb Hileman, president and CEO for the Institute of Crisis Management, a key distinction between the Covid-19 crisis and the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 is that the impact of Covid-19 has been broader and more sudden. “We saw economies crash overnight with many industries irrevocably changed. In the United States, several historic retail brands have filed for bankruptcy. Millions of people have lost their jobs forever. Leaders need to understand the depth and breadth of the crisis, lead with empathy as they make difficult decisions.”

Professor Nicola Kleyn, dean of Executive Education at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, believes that the biggest impact of the crisis has been the destruction of the social fabric of society. “Covid-19 has revealed extreme inequality and poverty. The stress on the system has led to a rise in social unrest. Globally, we see greater populism from citizens and a greater authoritarian response from governments.”

e any certainty on when this crisis will be over. There are so many unknowns.”

Read more: Experts weigh in on HR's role in times of crisis

2 Return on experience

Another article explores the concept of ‘return on experience’. Unlike that of return-on-investment, which is simply a matter of getting bang for your buck, the Return on Experience (ROX), according to experts from PwC, is the extent to which improvements in the customer and employee experience will drive profits and revenues.

The same article quotes Microsoft SA Business Applications lead Natassia Katopodis who says that the employee experience has become the most important element of managing people.

“Remote working has gone from something that was a nice-to-have option in companies’ employee value propositions to a reality that every single organisation has had to adjust to whether they were prepared for it or not,“ says Natassia, adding that mandatory remote working has brought with it a new set of challenges regarding the employee experience.  

Read more:A guide for tracking return on experience

3 Weed in the workplace

The third must-read feature from 2020 touches on South Africa's decriminalisation of cannabis use and possession, explaining what it means for employers. Dr Richard Malkin, managing director of Workforce Healthcare, says it’s complicated because an employer suspecting an employee of showing up at work after using cannabis is a sensitive situation. “The steps an employer should take if they suspect an employee will be motivated by the level of risk in the situation.”

Meanwhile, according to Nicol Myburgh, head of the HR business unit at CRS Technologies, says the relaxation of laws has ushered in a new era and employers need to proactively adjust their substance control policies and explicitly outline the rules around the use of cannabis. 

“People generally understand that consuming any mind or mood-altering substances while at the job is not allowed. Common sense regarding cannabis should also prevail,” says Nicol.

Read more: Highflyers: Experts weigh on what to do about weed in the workplace

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