Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented changes to the workplace, forcing organisations to
adapt quickly to remote work, flexible arrangements, and digitalisation. Human Resource (HR)
professionals played a significant role in managing these transitions, ensuring employee well-being,
and implementing new workplace policies and procedures. However, there is scant research on the
competencies required by HR professionals to navigate the post-COVID era work environment
successfully. This study aims to identify the critical HR competencies needed for HR professionals to
thrive in the post-COVID era. To address the research objective, a qualitative research approach was
employed, which involved semi-structured interviews conducted online and face-to-face with nine HR
professionals who participated in the study. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The
findings provide insights for HR professionals and organisations to develop effective HR practices and
successfully support the transition to the post-COVID era: work environment. Six themes emerged from
the study: the Role of HR in the Post-COVID era: Work Environment, HR Competencies in the Post-
COVID era Work Environment, the Evolution of Critical HR Competencies in the Post-COVID era,
Challenges Faced by HR Professionals, Future-Proofing HR Competencies and Roles, and
Professional Development. Given the limited existing studies on HR competencies in the post-COVID
era period, further research is recommended in this area.