CREATING EMPATHY-BASED TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR HR TEAMS SUPPORTING CULTURAL INFORMATION WORKERS

Abstract

In a globalised, diverse workforce, it is common for HR (Human Resource) teams to be responsible for re-envisioning support for cultural information workers, those who manage and make sense of cultural data, cultural artifacts, and cultural narratives; roles with much emotional labour, intercultural competence, and sensitivity to sociocultural dynamics. However, there are few HR training leagues that address the emotions of cultural work, psychological and contextual aspects of the group. This paper uses a newly-created model to develop empathy-focused education campaigns for HR professionals who support cultural information workers. The education framework is a combination of cognitive, empathetic mapping (of cultural information workers), emotional regulation (of cultural information worker's important work that generates positive emotions) and scenario-based education rooted in the realities of cultural labour. We adopt a mixed-method strategy of ethnographic observations, focus group interviews, and analytics of performance events to monitor and evaluate the sought - after impact of the education on the HR department's effectiveness, the cultural worker's well-being and the degree of inclusivity in the organization. Our results show professionally AIDS education for empathy leads to positive effects with respect to HR's abilities to support multiple narratives, manage emotional fatigue, and build trust-based working relationships at work. The study offers future possibilities for human-centred development for HR, coupling emotional intelligence with the strategic role of supporting cultural workers in having healthy careers in increasingly successful organizations.