As we know, we are dealing with unprecedented times. Not since the war, have we experienced such a lockdown and with the pandemic continuing it’s never been more important to take care of your people. With many health and safety fears, job security, working from home and isolation, it’s key to focus on your team’s wellbeing and keep staff healthy, informed, motivated and productive.
Many organisations are taking proactive steps to evaluate the changing situation and manage the potential impact on their staff. In times of uncertainty or potential crisis, clear, reliable, and effective communication is vital. Employees are looking to their employers for regular briefings and communication. They feel that it’s a source of truth on the daily issues they’re facing, so keeping them up to date as the company evolves is vital. However, given the sheer volume of information, it can feel like an overwhelming task for internal comms.
Employers have a responsibility to their staff, who may find it difficult to separate out credible facts from the hype or have fears and concerns. There may be an impact on both the individual and organisation which for most is unknown at the moment.
It is essential that you explain clearly what is happening and keep employees up to date without evoking unnecessary fear or creating a worse environment.
Official Sources
The first important step is to make sure you are referring to official sources of health information when communicating about COVID-19 in your organisation. This reassures staff that you are using credible sources and presenting facts. It also ensures that you are giving the correct information.
Internal Crisis Team
Bringing an internal crisis team together is important.
If you don’t have a team, consider who from your internal network needs to be involved. Who can make important decisions quickly, who has tactical responsibilities or desired skills in the event of a situation escalating?
This may be a member of your IT team who can ensure staff are properly equipped to work from home or colleagues from your Wellbeing team.
Communication Channels
If you have various communication channels you need to decide where employees should go for accurate, credible, and reliable information. Do you have an Intranet you can use, can they receive information by email or are you better using face-to-face channels such as Zoom or Skype.
You also need to ensure it’s a channel that can be accessed by all staff, including those on the front line or working remotely.
Communication Routes
Not everyone will want to liaise with the crisis team when they have fears, concerns, or questions. Particularly in a high-stress situation, many will want to speak with someone they trust and know.
While it’s probably not realistic that every middle manager can solve issues, it’s still vital that they’re briefed and equipped with information on how to respond should staff approach them directly.
Visibility
In times of uncertainty, stress, or pressure, steady leadership is important. The presence and words of an authoritative figure can provide much-needed reassurance and prevent any unnecessary escalation of panic. Using someone from the senior leadership team as the face of all communications is key in building trust and communicating effectively from the top to the bottom of the organization.
Information
If you have a working team who are meeting regularly (virtually or otherwise) to monitor the situation around COVID-19, establish timescales for giving staff regular updates.
It may be that you have a daily or weekly status update that communicates operational changes. Even if there is no change, stating this will reassure staff that the situation is being continuously monitored and the information they’re reading is current.
Your people are your biggest asset and keeping them on board is vital for when lockdown ends. By bringing them on board and regularly informed will ensure that they are more motivated and aligned with the business and it’s changing purpose.
