Wednesday 20th May 2020, marked the second International HR Day, which in 2020 recognised the important role of the HR and people professionals in responding to the coronavirus pandemic and putting people’s welfare centre stage in decision-making. It also underlined the importance of people management in a wider context. HR Professionals around the world made a tremendous contribution to supporting people and organisations adapt to a new normal, and have championed physical and mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 crisis. Recognition was well deserved by all those who provided vital support to the processes of virtual collaboration and engagement, as well as enabling flexible working practices, supporting organisations to be compassionate in responding to individual health and well-being concerns in a time of unprecedented physical and emotional challenge.
Lucas van Wees, EAPM President (2018-2020) and HR Director with the University of Amsterdam, made the following statement “This is an important time for HR and people professionals to make sure companies are responding to employee concerns in the middle of the current Covid-19 crisis. As countries across the world look to reopen their economies and workplaces, HR and the people profession will be leading the creation of safe workplaces and working practices, and supporting individuals to prepare for a new normal. This crisis has changed our ways of working for the future in fundamental ways, and we encourage organisations to collaborate with employees to create more flexible and sustainable operating models”.
In the absence of gatherings and events to mark the occasion in 2020, participants used #InternationalHRDay and #HRTogether across social media platforms to share their experiences.
The theme for 2020 was ‘connecting people and organisations’ and focus for the day centered around the following five reasons to recognise the HR and people profession:
- We are working hard to put people first during this crisis
- We are enabling remote and flexible working practices
- We are championing physical and mental health and wellbeing
- We are encouraging virtual collaboration and engagement
- We are supporting people and organisations to adapt to a new normal
2020 saw broader participation with recognition for the initiative from the WFPMA extending the reach from Europe to America and beyond. See below for a small selection of the activity EAPM national associations undertook in support of the day.
Greek Association
Lithuanian Association
Dutch Association
Cypriot Association
- We ran a Social Media campaign inviting all members and local business to participate and celebrate
- We and the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB) organised the 6th Sound Labour Relations (SLR) Network meeting, with Sam Fletcher as a key-note speaker on “How could blockchain change HR”. At the event selfie cards (attached) were distributed to the participants, in order to describe with 1 word the HR Professional and share through social media with the #HumanResourcesDay
- We run a mini-survey with non-HR people regarding how they see the role of HR professionals and how they perceive us. The questions were:
- Provide 3 words that normally characterise the HR professionals
- Describe a good experience or interaction you had with an HR Professional / HR dept
- What kind of support would you expect from the HR professional in your organisation?
- How do you consider the role of an HR professional?
The results were shared within our social media and on the SLR Network event.
- We have conducted interviews with HR Professionals that have been nominated for an HR award (as part of a CY Business Awards event). The interviews were focusing on good HR practices that they run on their companies
The answers were shared on our Social Media, website and magazine with each HR professional holding a Selfie card from the EAPM’s toolkit.
- We have sent press releases in local newspapers
In 2020 we have continued to honour this special day by:
- Setting a frame from the EAPM toolkit to our Facebook page and LinkedIn and ask members to use it in order to create awareness about the date.
- The Minister of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance has made a press release / social media post honouring the HR Professionals and the HR day
- Social media campaigns started by the Board of Cyprus HR Association inviting all to join us .
- Running a contest through Facebook and LinkedIn with a prize, where HR professionals will have the opportunity to make their profession “visible” and show that “people matter”.
- Running a webcast event on the HR day (20th of May) with the topic ‘’Strengthening the Employee Experience During COVID19: Choosing Uncertainty or Choosing A Positive Employee Experience in this very VUCA Time”, with the renowned researcher and professor Mr. David Cohen as a key-note speaker. The webcast was co-hosted with the SLRNetwork managed by the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB). The SLRNetwork is formed under the projected co-funded by the Cyprus Republic and the European Social Fund, titled “Sound Labour Relations, Contemporary Enterprises”.
- Posting a video on social email which was referred to all the actions stated above.