Bonus Questions. Your answers will be graded on the quality and depth. These are not "yes" or "no" questions and must be answered in-depth. 

1. What are some of the challenges that Human Resource Departments are currently facing as a result of the deteriorating situation surrounding COVID-19. List the challenges and how you would handle the situation if you were faced with that particular challenge.

2. Prior to the COVID-19 epidemic if you were applying for a job and you had a gap in your employment history of 6 months or more, your employment history would not be looked upon favorably by potential employers.  As COVID-19 continues, more Americans are finding themselves unemployed beyond 6 months. Does that carry a stigma even in a pandemic?

1. What are some of the challenges that Human Resource Departments are currently facing as a result of the deteriorating situation surrounding COVID-19. List the challenges and how you would handle the situation if you were faced with that particular challenge.

Human resource have been considerably affected by the COVID-19 crisis as rapid changes occurred in the business industry. Companies all over the world are trying to deal with sudden movements and changes in the workplace. Therefore, this has brought many challenges in the organization especially in the Human Resource Department. One of the major concern is the mental health and wellbeing of their employees since covid-19 pandemic have taken over our system and influenced mental health problems such as stress and anxiety in the workforce. The challenge for the management now is how to keep their employees engaged and committed to their work since they are more likely to be distracted and discourage by the pandemic. Most companies have switched into remote work and work from home to be able to catch up with the workloads that have been left behind by the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the health and safety of their employees at the same time. The challenges that the HR department is experiencing are as follows:

? Overall health and well being of employees

? Communication and Interaction

? Employee engagement and productivity

One must be able to make adjustments and adapt to changes in working from home. First, it is important to identify the factors that the employee will need to consider to familiarize themselves with the virtual work environment. There can be a lot of challenges and distractions with this kind of virtual work at home. So, in order for an individual to work effectively and efficiently, he/she must make healthy habits and ensure discipline by setting routines. You will also need to find a quiet space away from distractions and other people. Make sure to prepare and organize everything that you need in your desk. Second, you must set boundaries between work and home because you will need to be more flexible since virtual work can also be demanding. Separate work time and personal time because when you're at home you feel more comfortable and that may result to less productivity. Third, dress appropriately when working because this can inspire you to move better and focus in accomplishing your tasks.

The leaders of the organization also plays a vital role in keeping their employees motivated and productive. They must encourage their people to have two way communication and interact with them wherein the management will also be open to hear their opinions and thoughts. With this, employees will feel more valued and respected by the company. 

2. Prior to the COVID-19 epidemic if you were applying for a job and you had a gap in your employment history of 6 months or more, your employment history would not be looked upon favorably by potential employers.  As COVID-19 continues, more Americans are finding themselves unemployed beyond 6 months. Does that carry a stigma even in a pandemic?

I don't think so, COVID-19 pandemic will reduce the unemployment stigma since most companies are also affected with the pandemic they will eventually take into considerations for recruiting new employees in the organization. The human resource department will more likely focus on the skills, experiences and competencies of an individual to be able to hire the best candidate for the job position. The pandemic will also serve as an opportunity for individuals who seek employment. Unemployment gap will never be a hindrance in recruiting and selecting top performer candidates that will help the organization to improve its overall performance in business industry. As these individuals will more likely to make relevant contributions and increase the productivity of the organization. Candidates that are out of work for a specific time being turns out to be more motivated, engaged with work and productive because they want to boost their career growth and development in the workplace. This will serve as a competitive advantage for the company to encourage the best individuals to be part of the organization to increase the performance of the business.

Step-by-step explanation

The human resource department is focus on creating effective strategies in order to overcome the challenges of remote work when it comes to communication and productivity of their employees. There are a lot of challenges and distractions that may occur in virtual work environment. Leaders of the organization must help their employees fully understand the factors that they will have to consider to familiarize themselves with the virtual work itself. If not, these employees may possibly lower their engagement and productivity towards their job performance. There are also difficulties that employees may experience such as lack of face to face supervision, limited access to information and social isolation.

Human resource management must address these issues by encouraging their people to communicate, interact and engage not only with the things related to work but also to be more open with their own experiences and opinions. The leaders of the organization also plays a vital role in keeping their employees motivated and productive. They must encourage their people to have two way communication and interact with them wherein the management will also be open to hear their opinions and thoughts. Employees tends to be more productive and motivated when they feel valued, appreciated and respected. Companies must be flexible in providing not only compensation but most importantly benefits from the organization. This will be more effective when both employee and employer do their part. Consistency and transparency are important factors to consider since both parties must maintain balance for goals and priorities in the workplace. Employees must be consistently inspired to work for the organization while employers should provide the proper recognition and rewards to keep them motivated and satisfied.