Successful HR Management
in times of crisis

In times of crisis, all eyes are on HR. It is precisely then that HR professionals must use their people skills and be there for their employees. Martina Ruiß, Head of HR, explains how this works at Personio.

Crisis management: What if 400 employees need to work from home quickly?

Measures for a quick transfer: 

• Employees should take their laptops home in the evening for emergencies
• Tests whether the technology for home office works and examination of legal issues 
• Ask colleagues to update their contact details in Personio so that they can be reached

Transparent communication:

• Regular updates on what is happening in the background
• Provide Q&A documents
• Guidelines with tips & tricks for working from home
• E-mails to colleagues on vacation to inform them about the situation

What can HR do to keep the everyday work going?

Formation of a home office task force to deal with the following questions:

• How do we keep employees productive, which tools can help?
• How do we keep employees motivated?
• How can we support leaders in remote management?
• How can we support health topics in home office?
• How do we ensure that fun and social exchange are not neglected?

Support for employees with children:  

• Reduction of working hours by 25% without reduction of salary. Here we are dependent on the support of the other employees in order to absorb the work.
• Financial support for external child care support. Here we cover 50% of the costs up to 200 Euro per week.

How do you motivate employees in home office and promote exchange?

• Try to stay in touch. We at Personio have in addition to our all-hands meeting on Fridays a company meeting on Monday mornings, as a kick-off, so to speak.
• Make meetings and 1:1s with managers more frequent.
• Communicates rather too much than too little so that everyone is informed and has understood what is being said.
• Use virtual coffee chats or lunch dates to keep in touch with colleagues.
• Use communication channels that are just for fun. We have a “Random Slack Channel” where employees can also post funny GIFs and memes.

How do you deal with vacation and expiration of remaining leave?

• Many colleagues whose trips have been cancelled would rather work than spend their time at home – that’s okay.
• What won’t work is that all colleagues take their holidays for example in the second half of the year.
• Compromise: We postpone the expiry of the remaining leave until the end of May.

Currently, a virus is forcing companies to adopt new ways of working. Here, new work expert Kay Mantzel reveals the attitude with which you take advantage of the opportunities of working from home.

How do you keep the balance between job and private life during a longer period of working from home?

• The aim is to create a work-life flow: Companies must allow employees to work the way that works best for them.
• This can mean putting off work in between because the child has a question or the dog needs to go for a walk.

What structures can companies provide so that flexible working works well?

• When working from home, you sit much more because there is no need to go to a meeting or to the canteen.
• Companies need to actively promote and encourage breaks, while employees, on the other hand, should plan these times into their daily routine as an inherent part.

Katharina Holl is a yoga teacher and mindfulness coach. In the following conversation she reveals how to get through the Corona-related home office time in a relaxed way.

Is there a quick fix when you’re having cabin fever?

• Take a deep breath: Simply open the window and take five deep breaths into the lower abdomen. With “Pranayama”, oxygen can be sent throughout the entire organism – this gives an energy kick.
• Share feelings: If you are willing to admit to others how you feel, you may find that you are not alone with your feelings.

Which mindfulness practices help in acute stress?

• Meditation: It promotes resilience, but many people find it difficult to meditate alone. The employer can help by creating space for guided meditation together.
• Sports: Whether yoga or a home workout, exercise helps to blow off steam. Even better: doing sports with friends or colleagues, for example during a “remote yoga class”.

How does “togetherness” work – remotely or in a small space?

• Precise communication: When working remotely, non-verbal signals are lost in many moments (e-mail, telephone). To leave no room for misunderstandings, it helps to ask a lot of questions: ‘I understood it that way, did you mean it that way?’
• Address needs clearly: This is especially relevant for the daily contact with partners or family members with whom you now live in close quarters.
• Take time for quality time: It is important to create a clear difference between working together and spending time together in a targeted manner. How about a joint dinner date at home?

For the onboarding in Corona times, our colleague, HR Manager Adriana Sabino, had to come up with something quickly. In this interview she reveals what is important for onboarding in and out of home office.

How does remote onboarding work at Personio?

• Organize your equipment: Normally new joiners find a decorated table with their equipment at Personio – now they get their onboarding packages delivered to their front door by courier. New employees outside our headquarters in Munich receive their equipment by mail. Very important: Send everything in time to ensure that it is there before the start date.
• Upfront communication: Many newcomers are unsure how the situation will affect their start in the company. Both HR and our CEO Hanno are therefore in contact with the new joiners. They find out what is in store for them in the onboarding process and that the team is looking forward to meeting them despite the circumstances.

Which 3 things are essential to succeed?

• Transparent communication: New joiners should always be informed about the process, their to-dos and about the team.
• Equipment & Technology: Besides the hardware, the IT infrastructure is also important. The most important work and communication tools must be installed on the PCs in advance.
• Update responsible teamleads: HR has to prepare the team leaders for their role because even in remote setting they have to take good care of their new employees. Ideally, they should set up first meetings – formally and informally over coffee.

What should you avoid when onboarding remotely?

• Losing contact: Especially in the first few weeks, HR and the team leads should stay close to the newcomers in order to integrate them well into the team.

Do not talk about expectations: False expectations can be toxic when onboarding remotely. That is why it is important to discuss them openly and transparently. This is primarily the task of the team leaders.

Not seeing each other when working from home or as a virtual team can quickly become a communicative challenge for employees. Laura Koller, Lead Internal Communications & Employer Branding at Payback, gives tips on how to make the exchange work in times of Corona.

Laura’s 5 top tips for communication in and from a distance:

1. Turn on the video: Especially when “remote communication” takes longer, it is important to see your conversation partners. This does not only create a feeling of closeness, but also makes it much easier to interpret body language signs.
2. Creating platforms for exchange: A good and friendly exchange within the team is also important in Corona times. Therefore, Payback has created virtual meeting places for professional as well as private exchange between employees. This includes their employee app as well as the “off-topic” channel “I’m taking a break”.
3. Thinking “outside the box”: Canceling after-work events? Out of the question! With Payback, employees still start their evening together. Let’s just raise our glasses in front of the laptop!
4. Show understanding: Jour Fixe, but the kids rumble, the dog barks? Anyone currently working from home needs a dose of calmness. And above all understanding for colleagues: This is part of the team spirit – after all, we are all in the same boat.
5. Questions: Communication via chat and e-mail can be particularly tricky. To avoid misunderstandings, it is advisable to ask – several times if necessary. In case of doubt, the quickest way to clear up the question is to use video calling.

What does labour law say about working from home? Lawyer Dr. Philipp Raben explains what employers must take into account.

Which legal requirements must be met for home office?

• An agreement between employer and employee is required for home office.
• If there is a works council, its approval is also required.
• A one-sided arrangement of home office is not possible.

What can a home office agreement look like?

The following need to be arranged:

• Lump sum (for internet etc.)
• Attendance tracking
• Data protection
• Insurance
• Availability, if applicable
• Employer’s right of access to the workplace

How are home office employees insured?

• The employee’s health insurance also applies to home office
• All activities that are not directly related to the work activity are not insured by the employer
  • Example: Stumbling while getting a glass of water vs. cutting at the letter opener when opening company letters

How are breaks and rest periods regulated when working from home?

• Same regulation as when working in the office
  • 6 to 9 hours work: 30 minutes break
  • ≥ 9 hours work: 45 minutes break
  • Rest period: 11 hours
• Agree to transfer partial responsibility for compliance to the employee

Do employees need to be available at all times when working from home?

• Without a uniform regulation there is no obligation for continuous availability
• Agreement on core working hours makes sense