The next normal: A day in the life of an HR manager

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we all live and work – quite possibly for good.

The level of transformation has been enormous – no matter what profession you work in.

The severe and rapidly changing restrictions have meant businesses must be more flexible than ever.

This has severely disrupted what the typical working day may have looked like pre-lockdown.

So, what does a ‘normal’ 24 hours look like for an HR manager in the age of COVID? And how can technology help to make life easier and more productive, despite the challenges?

Below, we imagine a typical day in the ‘next normal’, looking at how IRIS may help each step of the way….

This is the day in the life of Lauren, HR manager

7am – Lauren tunes into the news; as expected, a her local area is being moved into tier 3 (the highest) of local lockdown. The Government says workplaces are required to shut down.

8am – Following a meeting with senior management teams to discuss business continuity plans, Lauren circulates in-app messages to all staff via IRIS Engage, a solution with IRIS Cascade, informing them of lockdown and office closures.

8:30am – Utilising the company branded microsite, hosted securely by IRIS Engage, Lauren updates remote working policies and procedures; she reuses a template to circulate employee emails and text messages to inform all teams of new remote working plans.

9am – It's payday! While the office is off-limits, the outsourced payroll system, IRIS Fully Managed Payroll, ensures staff are paid on time; staff can access and view their pay slips from home with MyEPayWindow.

9:30am – A member of staff, who is out of the office today, has tested positive for COVID-19; they are unaware that the office is temporarily closed and tries calling their manager on the office landline. Fortunately, IRIS Cloud Telephony redirects the phone call to Lauren’s mobile.

10am – Lauren runs a report on IRIS Cascade to assess the number of staff unable to work from home using the Absence Manager module; she updates the absence management module to ensure all staff profiles are updated correctly. When the office reopens, IRIS Cascade will automate all return to work processes.

10:30am - Today is the first day for a new employee. Lauren brings the new starter on board through IRIS Cascade; all contracts are signed and the new team member has access to company policies and relevant documentation remotely. 

11am – All staff utilise IRIS Hosting to get on with their day as usual; Lauren has access to all her usual software, platforms, and programmes without delay, safe in the knowledge that all company and people data is secure.

12pm – Thanks to IRIS Assets, equipment has been distributed to employees to enable flexible working. A member of staff emails you regarding an issue with their laptop; you redirect the query to the facilities manager, who refers to IRIS Assets to review the status of their machine. The record is updated appropriately, and IT begins the process of setting up a new machine.

12:30pm – Lauren delivers a staff-wide presentation, updating the team on remote working procedures; her PowerPoint deck is saved on the company server; however, with IRIS Docs, she can deliver the presentation without issue. She also reminds staff they can continue to book holidays through MyCascade.

1pm – Segmenting employees by team, Lauren circulates an email to all managers using IRIS Engage to provide details of upcoming staff development training.

2pm – Lauren receives an in-app notification through ParentMail from her child’s school regarding a recent government announcement about school closures. Using IRIS Engage, she sends a targeted email to her management team, updating them on the news and ensuring they have the correct information to support their direct reports, if needed.

3pm – Quarterly reviews are due, however, due to lockdown, it is decided that fortnightly 1:2:1 meetings are a more appropriate method of keeping staff engaged. Using IRIS Cascade and the Perform module, Lauren updates her staff development plan.

Want help adapting your working day to thrive in the next normal?

Give our team a call on 0344 844 9644 or email hello@iris.co.uk to find out more about our products.