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PurposeBased on trait activation theory and established HRM frameworks, this paper examines the effect of HR managers' proactive personalities on their use of HRM systems in times of crisis. As ambiguity and uncertainty provide room for personal traits to unfold and HR managers gain influence in times of crisis, we hypothesise that highly proactive HR managers report more intense use of HR practices. We thereby explore a potential alternative to maximize the value derived from HRM in times of crisis and to contribute new insights about organisational and managerial crisis responses.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on data from 269 HR managers collected during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hypotheses are tested by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and multi-group analysis.FindingsWe find that a proactive personality can indeed influence the use of HR practices given that the impact of the crisis is not extremely high. This holds for HR practices that require investments (e.g., time and effort) from the HR manager, e.g., information sharing or employee involvement practices. Interestingly, we find that top management support weakens this link.Originality/valueBy emphasising the importance of managerial personality, we add important nuances to HRM frameworks that account for the influence of organisational actors (i.e. managers and HR managers) on HR policies and practices.