Navigating the Crises of COVID-19: Human Resource Professionals Battle Against the Pandemic

Abstract

This article aims to examine the experiences of human resource professionals (HRPs) in managing crises posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing qualitative research methodology, in-depth interviews with 24 HRPs of different industries were carried out. The findings indicate how the HRPs have navigated through five phases of the crisis as (a) anticipatory; (b) crisis; (c) adjustment; (d) rebounding; (e) continuance or reverting to old ways, struggling with many decisions and actions. The periods that companies took to navigate these different stages and the success of how they faced the crises posed by the pandemic mainly depend on factors such as the level of preparedness, nature of the industry, availability of resources, and role of the HRPs. The learning from the experiences of the HRPs and the phases they have navigated through will help to successfully manage similar crises in the future.