Motivating, Caring for Employee Development and Employer Branding in Diverse Companies during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Purpose: The subject of the considerations of this article is the implementation of selected functions in the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic. The article aims to identify changes caused by the pandemic in selected HR functions, i.e., motivating, training and caring for employee development as well as employer branding activities, based on research (in-depth interviews) conducted among HR specialists, employee specialists, and company owners, in enterprises diversified in terms of industry and size, in Poland. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study consists of two parts: theoretical one, in which the author presents the literature on the subject, and empirical, discussing the research technique and the results obtained as a result of its application. Twenty-three people from twenty-three companies of different sizes and sectors took part in the research, using the in-depth interview technique. Findings: As a result of the research, it turned out that the specialists and company owners participating in the study indicated various forms of motivation used in their enterprises, i.e. strengthening the sense of security, employment and health through a system of communicating with employees, flexible working hours, increasing the decision-making autonomy of employees, offering gadgets which, due to various conditions (e.g., the size and financial condition of the company), did not always appear or appeared to a lesser extent. The situation was similar regarding the training offered, where apart from training related to IT competences, training offered to the management in appreciating employees deserves attention. Practical implications: The care of most companies for the image of a friendly employer branding, which can be treated as a manifestation of increasing awareness of the importance of caring for the brand, and creating a positive image is positively surprising. Originality/value: The issues addressed in the paper are important from utilitarian point of view as pandemic made the methods and approaches used before no longer effective and efficient in many cases.