Crisis management and human resources management during the COVID-19 pandemic: A research on human resources professionals

The new type of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which started in Wuhan, China in December 2019, quickly turned into a global pandemic by enveloping the whole world. Shortly after its arrival in Turkey, some enterprises temporarily stopped or had to stop their activities while some businesses are experiencing an explosion in demand. In all this process, businesses had to adapt to new legal regulations to cope with the crisis, but had to make changes in issues such as working styles, human resources practices and policies. In this study, the role of Human Resources Professionals in crisis management is discussed. In the study, it is aimed to reveal how Human Resources Professionals perceive the COVID-19 pandemic as a crisis and what they do to cope with this crisis. In this context, the COVID-19 pandemic experiences of Human Resources Professionals will be examined. In the study, which was handled with a qualitative perspective, interviews were used as a data collection tool. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses have tried to overcome the difficulties created by the crisis by taking various measures. HR practices within the scope of experience of HR professionals vary according to the sector in which the business. Remote working and taking measures against the pandemic have brought new responsibilities to HR professionals. These experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic process can be considered as an experience that will guide other crises in the future.