As business leaders implement new strategies and processes to operate in times of uncertainty and crisis, effective communication is critical to align and support employees, writes Nicole Alvino, co-founder, and chief strategy officer at SocialChorus.
The coronavirus pandemicOpens a new window continues to present an unparalleled challenge to business leaders, forcing them to implement new strategies and processes to operate amidst a global crisis. In this type of constantly evolving climate, effective communication is critical to keeping employees informed, reassured and safe – and will ultimately determine an organization’s ability to recover and whether the challenging times.
Yet, many organizations are woefully unprepared to properly align and support employees during global threats like COVID-19Opens a new window . In fact, 44% of business leadersOpens a new window admitted that their current crisis communications plan did not specifically address an infectious disease outbreak. As the pandemic continues to unfold, organizations must recognize that the choices, actions, and priorities they take will have both a short- and long-term impact on their workforce and overall success. Fortunately, 42% of companies that experienced a crisis in the past emerged stronger and healthier from it.
With this in mind, here are three strategies that HR, communications and business leaders can take to illustrate the commitment to their employees.
Be Proactive
Don’t wait for employees to come to you. Recent researchOpens a new window found that employer communications are the most trusted source of information about the coronavirus. Your employees are looking to you – so show them you are answering their questions, concerns, and needs. This means proactively sending updates and information and ensuring you can reach the entire workforce, whether at a desk or on a factory floor.
With updates occurring daily if not hourly, employees need a source of truth. Consider establishing a dedicated COVID-19 communication and information hub – that can reach employees where they are – so all employees have access to critical company information on their preferred device or digital channel. Once the right communicationOpens a new window system is in place, HR teams should focus on providing timely, transparent communications with concrete steps to break through the noise, and ensure workers know exactly what is happening and what they need to do in response. Employees are overwhelmed with communications during this time and creating a singular, company-backed source of truth will help them weed out misinformation and determine which messages are most urgent.
Learn More:Â How to Use Technology to Streamline Communication in the OfficeOpens a new window
Target and Personalize your Message
It’s important to remember there is no one-size-fits-all when communicatingOpens a new window with employees – both in terms of the medium and the message. Not every employee consumes communications in the same way, and different employees may have different concerns about how the situation impacts them. While some may prefer updates via brief text on mobile or video update, others may want in-depth details on what’s happening now and in the future.
This is why HR teams should not only target all digital channels, such as a mobile, intranet, digital signage, and email but also tailor and personalize messages to various groups of employees to meet their unique needs and preferences. It is essential to target and personalize the messages by location, function, department and management status to give employees exactly what they need to feel informed and supported… For global companies, automatic translations are a must-have to allow HR professionals to broadcast information with speed and clarity and show every worker that they are important.
Listen, Track and Measure Employee Response
Measurement is a key asset for success but only 66% of internal communicationsOpens a new window professionals look to reports and dashboardsOpens a new window to track performanceOpens a new window . If you can’t measure your communications, how will you know what’s working and what isn’t? Particularly during times of crisis, taking a data-driven approach is critical to gauge how your employees are reacting and responding. By tracking and measuring communications in real-time, HR teams can quickly adjust their strategy and make more informed decisions moving forward. Understanding how employees respond to the company updates can also help contain any negative situations or manage teamsOpens a new window as business returns to normal.
Learn More:Â 4 Steps HR Teams Should Take to Prepare for Emergency CommunicationsOpens a new window
Business and HR leaders should also ensure they have a way to confirm information has been received. For critical updates, requiring an acknowledgment from employees can be extremely beneficial to ensure workers have absorbed all pertinent information. The impact of communicationsOpens a new window will also vary across different units and departments of the business. It’s important to monitor acknowledgments across a cohort or team in order to understand how different groups respond to different messages… Whether sending videos from the C-suiteOpens a new window or time-sensitive push notifications on the latest updates, HR professionals need the data to make decisions – and act on – delivering the types of communication to best support, inform and engage their workforce.
In order to sustain their business through crisis leaders must focus on their employees first. Companies that respond with transparency and compassion will be rewarded by their workforce long after the crisis is over. While many organizations have a crisis management plan in place, the ability to deliver timely, targeted and measurable communications is essential to execute on the plan, maintain business continuity and most importantly, keep your workforce safe and supported.
What strategies have you implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic? Tell us on FacebookOpens a new window , LinkedInOpens a new window , or TwitterOpens a new window