Confessions Of A Housebound HR Professional

by Aimee Mangold
 
It has been just over a week since I started working from home. 
 
This is a first for me.
 
I have always considered myself to be adaptable, however that is being put to the test.
 
It was challenging to stop working at first.  As I reached week 2, I now have a routine.  Wake up between 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m. and walk the dog. Then I shower, dress and eat breakfast, ready to start my day.  In the afternoon I prepare a home cooked lunch, which I enjoy outside on the patio. My day ends between 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.  Shutting down my computer is essential to ensure I stop working.
 
Throughout all these adjustments to this (fingers crossed) temporary state of life, I wondered how I was going to stay connected with my HR staff and our team members.
 
So far it has been as follows:
 
·       Our Executive Leadership has a daily 9:00 a.m. phone call.
·       Our HR team has a Monday morning Group Facetime meeting which follows our weekly agenda.
·       We send weekly communications to our team members using text, email, social media posts and weekly video communications on youtube.
 
As I reflect back to what my life was like 3 weeks ago.  I can’t help but grieve these changes.  Our company was thriving, we were growing and overcoming the challenge of hiring qualified talent.  In 6 years we grew the organization from 200 employees to 575 employees. That number has fallen to 300.  The remaining management staff working received a 25% pay reduction.
 
All this has been depressing for me.  Be assured I am not depressed, I am grateful for my good health and the good health of my family and team members.  I am grateful to still be working.  But I am only human and can’t help also feeling deflated and helpless.  I take pride in being able to find creative solutions to problems.  I ask the same questions over and over again but this has me stumped.
 
·       When will this end?
·       When can we get back to work?
·       Will it be safe to congregate again?
·       When will our team members get their unemployment check?
 
I don’t have the answers.  What I know for sure is I have control of my emotions and reaction to what is happening.  I choose to be positive, I choose to have hope, I choose to have optimism, I choose to do what I can do make others feel better. I choose to wash my hands and try to not touch my face.
 
What do you choose?
 
 

As Vice President of Human Resources, Ms. Mangold oversees all Human Resource initiatives to include staffing, benefits & compensation, payroll, employee relations and training & development.

Aimee brings over 20 years of professional human resource leadership experience having worked with The Procaccianti Group and Interstate Hotels where she held various roles as Area Director of Human Resources, Regional Director of Human Resources and Regional Trainer.

Aimee has been a member Human Resources Association of Palm Beach County since 2006 and has held a variety of volunteer positions including Workforce Readiness chairperson and is currently the incoming President for the association.  She is the recipient of the 2018 HRPBC HR Professional of Year and received the Excellence in HR Award from South Florida Business and Wealth Magazine in 2019 and 2020.  Additionally, she has earned her Senior Professional Human Resources certification along with her SHRM Senior Certified Professional certification.​