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* By Tato Athanase
The people management area must assume a strategic and socially responsible role to combat fake news during the crisis.
In the current crisis-coping scenario, we are bombarded with information. During the performance of our duties, the volatility of the moment diverts attention to urgent news, guidance from the authorities, a warning about the pandemic passed on by a loved one.
Unfortunately, this avalanche also includes a large portion of fake and, in many cases, dangerous content. Considering these circumstances, and remembering that most of us spend most of the day working - and, at the same time, consuming content - what is the role of the human resources (HR) department in this battle against disinformation?
Strategically positioned, HR becomes the heart of the company in a crisis situation - and one of the ways in which this can manifest itself is through acting as a curator of quality content.
At first glance, this function may not seem directly relevant to the area of people, but acting as a disseminator of reliable information during the pandemic is crucial for HR. It is an activity directly linked to corporate social responsibility and is a fundamental part of a strategic and people-centered management.
It is possible to position the department as a propagator of positive behaviors. The people area can provide employees with relevant information on issues such as prevention of Covid-19, and thus reduce the need for these people to seek information from other sources, which are not always reliable.
By reducing the harmfulness of fake news in the workforce through useful and verified content, HR also increases people's confidence. In addition, it is important to remember that it is not only employees who read and listen to the content that their employers disseminate: people replicate this information. Think of the positive effect this can have on employees of a factory, large retailer or bank, and the lives of their families and friends: the impact on society is huge.
To fulfill this task, HR needs to know its audience and there are several tools that managers can use. One of them is the climate survey, which provides important information such as people's confidence level and a more holistic view of the workforce profile, as well as historical data from the base. Based on this data, it is possible to deliver relevant and quality information, in languages, times and channels that work for each profile.
The role of HR as an information provider that people can trust is particularly relevant for workers at the bottom of the pyramid, and considering the different social, educational and demographic realities of extremely diverse staff. It is also important to consider that the access to information of certain populations of a company can happen predominantly through social networks, which makes the HR mission even more critical in the current circumstances.
By becoming a reliable source of content in a crisis scenario, the people area supports organizations in conducting more effective and responsible management, together with the business areas. The fight against misinformation places HR as a major positive influence on the management of the company's human capital, as well as a generator of value for the business and, mainly, for society.
* Tato Athanase, senior human resources manager at SAS Brasil
Notice: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
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