PRIORITISING YOUR INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

The workplace upheaval caused by COVID-19 has highlighted the true value of internal communications for organisations in every sector. Never has it been so important for organisations to establish a clear line of communication with employees to provide information, reduce anxiety and outline the steps the organisation is taking to protect and support staff.

Having had a few months of dealing with the fall-out from COVID-19, Australian business leaders are now reiterating how vital it is to stay connected with employees during a crisis, with communication that is clear and transparent.  

When it comes to keeping your employees informed and engaged, the messages and guidance from your leadership team is critical. So too is your approach to the distribution and type of content, frequency, tone of voice, accuracy and willingness to maintain an open forum.

Organisations that have communicated regularly, clearly and with compassion to staff during the past few months, will engender employee loyalty and be in a better position to recover post the COVID disruption.   

Download our tips for communicating internally during a crisis.

1. Communicate your plans

A crucial part of any crisis management plan, particularly when it relates to the health and wellbeing of staff, is the communication around what your company is doing to manage the crisis. Organisations should have a plan in place to keep staff updated on aspects such as company announcements, management strategies, client and supplier strategies, health and safety practices in the workplace, HR or finance updates plus links to relevant external sites.

2. Source of truth

Where and how are your people sourcing the latest company information? Is company news emailed directly to everyone or is it always posted on your intranet first and then shared via department leaders? Decide which channel – be it a company social channel, intranet, internal news feed, or mobile app – is your primary distribution channel or source of truth and then back this up with a secondary amplification method or other modes of distribution.  

3. Are you being open and transparent?

What is your approach to communicating tough or unfavourable messages to staff? Are you being honest and transparent or sugar-coating messages? Whose interests are you putting first and what tone of voice are your comms taking? Ensure staff are informed respectfully about any company updates or developments that could affect their future employment, remuneration or workplace activity. Learning about major company news, such as a restructure, from a leaked email breeds employee discontent. 

4. Is your content engaging?

With 75% of employees more likely to watch a video than read text¹, assess what kind of content you are providing to employees. A short email using generic language from your CEO may not be as heartfelt as a pre-recorded video of him or her talking openly and honestly about the company’s plans. Don’t have time for a professional video? Use a high-definition iPhone recording or live webinar. Most people are visual learners so try to incorporate a video, polls, moving infographic or other rich content to capture their attention. 

5. Are your leaders visible enough?

When times are tough, employees are looking for not only guidance but empathy and understanding from their leaders. If COVID-19 has taught businesses anything – it’s to arm your management team with the advice they need to ensure the right information cascades down the hierarchy. Ensure big picture messages are consistent and any team or one-on-one interactions are as personal and specific as they can be. Some leaders may need advice on how to best articulate negative news to employees as well as a reminder, to check-in with staff that have been negatively impacted by workplace changes.

6. Communicate quickly and frequently

Are you informing employees quickly enough about industry or organisational developments or are your internal comms one step behind the media or office rumour-mill? Are you advising people of an upcoming change to their workplace or employment circumstances but then leaving them hang on the edge for further information? Have timelines in place to determine the frequency of communication and follow-up communique, the spokespeople responsible for messages, the distribution method and channel for questions and feedback. Giving employees certainty around the frequency of communication is better than not reaching out at all because of a lack of content or movement.

7. Create a feedback loop

Crisis situations are not a call for blasting information. It’s a two-way street, so include channels for employees to ask questions, seek clarification and source more information through. Employees will often raise questions you may not have thought about and can include in any follow-up communique.

8. Check-in with at-risk staff

If you’re a manager, make a point of connecting with staff that have been stood down, who are working remotely and live on their own or who could be under increased pressure to perform because of a reduced workforce. Even if it’s just a quick phone call to check-in or a text, to ask them if they are ok and need any support – the simple act of reaching out goes a long way when people are feeling isolated and stressed.

9. Support your remote workforce

With remote working now the norm, the road ahead is more about ensuring staff still feel connected, engaged and that processes are in place to keep business as usual activity in play. Consider:

• • • Mechanisms for keeping staff engaged with their work and connected with each other
    • A visual map or platform to indicate what each person, including managers are working on
    • Progress reporting methods for individuals, teams and disciplines
    • Short and long-term, strategies and project plans
    • Regular updates on what the organisation’s position is on major news updates – such as timelines for returning to the office or WHS plans.

As well as having company based social channels such as Workplace By Facebook, Yammer, Intranet or CRM feeds, many workplaces have set up ‘virtual hubs’ to provide an additional layer of support that allows team members to connect in a less formal virtual environment.

10. Engage staff on stand down

COVID-19 has seen employees across sectors such as travel, hospitality, events and entertainment stood down from their usual roles for an indefinite period of time. It is important for companies to engage and inform staff on stand down with tailored content that’s compatible for viewing on mobile devices. Consider:

• • • Creating a dedicated site or landing page for all the latest company updates
    • Include relevant information about the company’s status, ASX releases, management updates, HR info, financial support or advice, external learning and development opportunities plus additional content specifically tailored for furloughed employees such as health and well-being articles plus links to government or external health or medical support organisations
    • Encourage an external social media group for employees on stand down to join and connect socially with other employees
    • Most employees on stand down will access organisational content via their mobile devices, so videos, podcasts or other rich content will garner more engagement than traditional forms of content. Optimising your digital workplace for mobile users by using push notifications and content made for mobile consumption is an effective strategy for communicating with stand down staff.

In a crisis – it’s better for an organisation to ‘over-communicate’ rather than under-communicate. Your employees will feel more supported and confident of making decisions when they are informed at a professional and personal level. While many Australian businesses have excellent internal comms structures in place – COVID-19 has certainly highlighted how critical it is for organisations to maintain strong connections with employees to provide support, sustain productivity and preserve company culture. All key ingredients for a successful business recovery.

Download our tips for communicating to staff in a crisis.

Sources:

 ¹ Ragan