The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted recruitment practices and strategies. To comply with COVID-19 prevention measures, organizations had shifted to online recruitment methods and prioritized national recruitment [8]. Recruiters adapted their methods based on job requirements and individual candidate characteristics, utilizing social networks, online interviews, and psychometric tests [9]. Boomerang hiring, which involved rehiring former employees, emerged as a restructuring method during the pandemic, providing advantages such as cost-effectiveness and customer retention [10]. E-recruitment systems and social media became valuable tools in sourcing candidates, improving the speed and quality of recruitment [11]. A hybrid recruitment and selection system that combined online and offline components was implemented with the entire process conducted online except for necessary in-person tests [12]. E-recruitment through social media was proven effective, attracting a large number of qualified job applicants [13]. Facebook was utilized as an effective recruitment method for reaching a larger pool of candidates [14,15,16]. Online interviews were facilitated through various platforms, including established applications like Skype and newer platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom [17]. Human resources professionals emphasized the importance of fostering a sense of belonging and providing support throughout the recruitment process [18]. Figure 2 illustrates the various IT tools used for the recruitment of human resources.

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated significant organizational changes to ensure business continuity. Job performance emerged as a critical factor for sustaining operations and overall organizational performance. However, maintaining and shaping job performance during the pandemic posed challenges due to the negative impact on employees, resulting in increased stress and a diminished sense of security. In this context, HRM specialists played an increasingly important role in developing strategies that positively influenced the job-related attitudes of employees, thereby improving job performance during these challenging times [19].

The authors of [20,21] suggested measures that can enhance work motivation during the pandemic, such as comfortable workspaces, well-being promotion, positive relationships, and effective communication. By examining attitudes like work motivation, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment, the researchers investigated the impact of COVID-19-oriented HRM strategies in 378 organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. It was found that the best results were achieved by combining “hard” HRM strategies related to finances with “soft” HRM strategies focusing on well-being. It has been demonstrated that satisfaction with the organization’s COVID-19 responses is positively correlated with job performance [22]. A well-managed crisis led to a sense of security among employees regarding their health, well-being, and career. The findings of [23] suggest that job-related knowledge, informal communication, and organizational loyalty contribute to the impact of social isolation on job performance. It was evident from qualitative research that hindered development, missed informal conversations, and detachment from the organization played an important role. The extent to which employees are satisfied with their jobs reflects their level of work-related experiences. This relationship cannot be fully understood without a comprehensive understanding of how work motivation is influenced by external factors as well as HRM practices. A fulfilling work environment motivates employees to perform at their best [24,25,26,27]. Figure 3 portrays the various IT tools used for the performance appraisal of human resources.

Employees play a vital role in the productivity, success, and future of any organization, which is why organizations invest significantly in employee development. Employee development not only enhances individual skills but also contributes to the overall growth of the organization. Productive employees lead to the prosperity of the organization as a whole [28]. However, during times of crisis, when survival in the market becomes critical, organizations often take drastic measures that reduce the organization’s flexibility [29]. In such circumstances, the HR department plays a crucial role in managing the consequences of the crisis by reducing stress among employees and strategically minimizing costs [30].

In a crisis, organizations frequently cut down additional expenses related to benefits, promotions, and employee development, despite employees’ increasing expectations. Recruitment is also often reduced or halted, requiring HR departments to implement tools to retain current employees and mitigate potential dissatisfaction resulting from reduced promotion and development opportunities. One of these tools is the adoption of modern practices such as offering alternative job roles, freelance positions, or flexible working times [31]. These actions provide workers a sense of security, which, in turn, during a worldwide crisis improves their performance and likelihood to bond with the company [32].

During the COVID-19 pandemic, HR departments implemented various strategies to adapt to the new work environment and support employees. Figure 10 presents the various strategies adapted for performing the different functions of human resource management. These strategies included virtual interviews and remote onboarding for recruitment, virtual performance evaluations and continuous feedback for performance appraisal, e-learning platforms and virtual training sessions for training and development, revised compensation structures and flexible work arrangements for compensation and benefits, virtual team-building activities and transparent communication for employee engagement and communication, and mental health resources and flexible work arrangements for employee well-being and personal support. However, HR departments also faced challenges such as managing remote teams, addressing employee well-being, ensuring effective communication, and adapting to changes in work processes and regulations. 

Pre-COVID-19: For employees to be satisfied with their work, it was essential to have appropriate HRM practices in place [110]. Job satisfaction and performance were positively related to HRM practices [111,112,113]. It was demonstrated that HRM strategies that promoted employee performance were effective [99] and as long as employees were engaged and performing well, they were more likely to stay with the company. The effectiveness of HRM practices enhanced organizational commitment, i.e., identifying, assuming, and fulfilling responsibilities, and avoiding quitting the company [114,115,116]. Employee behavior was positively impacted by organizational commitment [117,118]. Employees who were committed to achieving organizational goals were more likely to act in a positive manner [119,120]. 

During COVID-19: The HR strategies adapted during COVID-19 by the organizations for effective human resource management was studied by several authors. The authors of [130] examined the crisis management, and 6Cs concept (compensation, caring culture, creativity, collaboration and coordination, clean/hygiene and communication) was adapted as an HR practice during COVID-19. The study by [131] concluded that adapting to new changes during the pandemic initially caused a denial of changes that affected the physical and psychological stability of employees. However, with the assistance of IS and IT tools, employees accepted the changes which, in turn, increased their productivity and performance. The authors of [132] examined and concluded that good HRM and HR practices (adopting IT tools and IS) positively impacted the organizational sustainability globally, whereas the bad HRM and HR practices failed to sustain. 

Post COVID-19: Several authors like [44,134,135,136,137] studied the practice of incorporating more IT tools and ISs by the HR as a part of the working culture post-COVID-19. The conclusions from the studies revealed that employees’ performances increased when they used IT tools and ISs in remote work settings. Hence, the authors insisted that removing the usage of IT tools and ISs post COVID-19 will decrease the productivity and performance. Hence, it is recommended and argued among the researchers that implementing an IT tools-based working culture and the usage of ISs in regular working mode as well will motivate employees and result in organizational sustainability.

Role of HR during COVID-19: In order to help organizations overcome the obstacles posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and develop strategies to achieve their goals, human resource management is essential. This entails putting employee well-being first while striving to meet the organization’s objectives for the COVID-19 pandemic [138]. HR professionals were responsible for motivating employees and providing them with adequate support during the abrupt transition in their work mode [139]. Numerous studies have emphasized the significance of organizational support during times of crisis [140]. It is clear that ensuring the internal consistency of these support measures is crucial not only in how they relate to each other when implemented during a crisis but also in alignment with established practices from the past, as this alignment can enhance their positive effects on employees.

In conclusion, the COVID-19 epidemic has confronted HR professionals with difficulties that they had never seen before, prompting the adoption of novel approaches in a number of HRM activities. To fulfill the specific requirements of the pandemic, all of the functions of Human Resource management such as planning and recruitment, performance evaluation, training and development, remuneration and benefits, employee engagement and communication, employee well-being and personal support had required the adaptation of new strategies. Further investigation is required to evaluate the efficacy and results of these tactics, examine the integration and synergy between various HR activities, and comprehend the unique difficulties faced by HR professionals. Organizations may improve their handling of the current crisis and the effectiveness of their HR procedures for the benefit of both their workforce and overall organizational performance by filling these research gaps.