The COVID-19 pandemic affected all spheres of human activity and introduced the need to adapt to new conditions to remain successful. For the business world, it means introducing new ways to manage human resources to ensure their safety and avoid spreading the virus. The nature and scope of challenges differ regarding the industry context and peculiarities of companies. However, the central tasks remain the same, as firms still have to focus on attraction and recruitment, retention, development, and workforce health and safety as vital parts of HR management. The proposed report focuses on fundamental issues Mercedes has regarding human resources in pre-pandemic and pandemic contexts. It outlines the industry context, primary workforce challenges before the COVID-19 pandemic, current questions, and recommendations for future improvement.
Mercedes operates in the automotive industry, one of today’s most fast-evolving sectors. It includes the manufacture of vehicles, their components, such as engines and bodies, and their distribution and sales (Daimler, 2020). The high level of revenue associated with it preconditions the high level of rivalry. Mercedes’ leading competitors include Stellantis, Ferrari, BMW Group, and AutoFlightX (Daimler, 2020). Positions of these companies in the market are also strong, meaning that the brand needs to generate a substantial competitive advantage to attract and retain clients. In this regard, the context shows that successful HR management is one of the vital factors for the retail activities of Mercedes as it helps to attain better performance levels and overcome close rivals. The industry also suffered from the pandemic as sales dropped 80% in Europe (Deloitte, 2020). Under these conditions, overcoming HR challenges becomes vital for the future company’s success.
References
Daimler. (2020). Annual report 2020. Web.
Deloitte. (2020). Understanding COVID-19’s impact on the automotive sector. Web.