Communicating Clearly with Employees During a Crisis
This article was submitted to ragan.com and published in June 2020 here.
A company that shows compassion and treats its employees and the public with care and integrity in a crisis situation will reap the benefits of a more loyal and productive workforce and an enhanced brand reputation.
Three months ago, daily life in the United States changed dramatically. The outbreak of COVID-19 led to nationwide shelter-in-place restrictions. Millions of Americans began working from home, others risked their health and lives working on the frontlines, and millions lost their jobs altogether. Employers swung into action to adjust business operations to the new normal, while professional employees switched from face-to-face office meetings to virtual conferences, all the while balancing or at least attempting to balance the stressors of full-time lockdown with family, roommates, and pets.
Just as we began to adjust our home and work lives to this new, surreal reality, our country was rocked by another crisis. In response to the tragic death of George Floyd by the hands of law enforcement in Minneapolis, protests against racial inequality and police brutality have erupted throughout the nation. Almost everyone in the country has been affected by these events, including American business. Many companies have been quick to share their outrage and commitment to solidarity while others have failed to respond in a timely and appropriate manner. For corporate communications professionals throughout the country, however, staying silent is not an option. Companies that do not craft a compassionate and thoughtful response to the ongoing national crises risk damaging their reputation and adding to the uncertainty and anxiety of the times.
Though companies obviously can’t prepare for every possible crisis, they can set up a framework for dealing with unexpected challenges which will allow them to pivot quickly in fast moving events like the ones we are currently experiencing. A company can become crisis-ready ahead of time by assembling and training an emergency response team, mapping worst case scenarios, preparing Q&A documents, and drafting a template for a holding statement. These measures will save time, one of the most precious resources during an unfolding crisis.
In a life-threatening emergency — a man-made or natural disaster — company leadership’s priority must be protecting the safety of its staff and the public. Other concerns are secondary. In the event of less life-threatening incidents such as a cyber security attack, big lawsuit or scandal, the key task is to minimize damage to the company and its reputation. In all crises, legal and HR teams should be consulted early to advise on legal issues and employee policy.
None of the above strategies can work, however, without effective employee communication. Even the most detailed plan will fail if morale collapses or employees aren’t guided on moving forward.
Below is a five-point list of some of the most important elements of an employee communications response in a crisis. These tips are applicable to our current crisis and can be used as a foundation for any communications response. They are drawn from our profession’s best practices and shaped by my own insights and experience as a communications specialist.
1. Address the situation as soon as possible
In frightening or disorienting times, employees will want to hear from their leaders immediately. Long silences from management can be devastating to employee morale and detrimental to how employees view their company and its leaders. As soon as possible, employees should be informed of what has happened based on confirmed information only. Further, given recent events, employees should be reminded as soon as possible of their employer’s opposition to all forms of racial discrimination. Companies should also reassert their ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Use clear and concise language and strike the right tone. Treat the situation with the gravity it deserves, and don’t be flippant. Early on, management may not have much more information than rank-and-file employees. Therefore, when communicating, be open and honest about what you know and don’t speculate on what you don’t know.
If an apology is warranted, don’t be afraid to apologize publicly but make sure to first consult with your legal team as to liability.
2. Put a face to the crisis response
Whether a message is delivered via email, a zoom call, or face-to-face, employees appreciate hearing news from someone they trust. This would be the CEO or leadership executive during a company-wide crisis, or a regional or local manager if the incident is smaller in scale. Therefore, during a crisis the most important messages should be delivered by relevant leaders in a medium that is user-friendly and accessible to employees.
3. Assess how the crisis affects employees
Not all crises mean the same thing to all people. Some employees are going to be more severely affected than others. A company’s communications approach and cadence should reflect this reality. All employees should be kept in the loop, but employees who are directly impacted or belong to groups that are disproportionately affected should get extra attention and be treated with sensitivity.
4. Show action and give direction
Once the crisis is acknowledged, share what is being done and how other company stakeholders such as clients and journalists are being informed. Give employees guidelines, including a media policy, about what they should and shouldn’t say publicly about the crisis and where they can direct inquiries. Don’t make big pledges in the heat of a crisis with little or no follow through once things have died down. Employees will remember the empty words and broken promises which can be even more damaging than saying nothing at all. Before announcing a plan of action, always make sure the company truly intends to act.
5. Provide an employee resource for information, updates, and community
Over-communication is better in situations like this than under-communication. Set up an intranet or web page that provides ongoing and updated information on the incident and response strategies. List the personnel and resources that employees can turn to for inquiries and about employee assistance programs. Consider forming employee resource groups that support diversity and inclusion and foster community. Provide links to credible third-party informational sources or recognized charities for donations or fundraising.
There’s been a groundswell of change in recent years, and companies will no longer be given a pass for sitting out events and conversations on the global scale. Employers must show through their responses that they are socially responsible and good corporate citizens.
By following these steps and taking a caring and empathetic tone, a company can get through an escalating crisis and safeguard its reputation.
Caroline James is a PR expert with more than 20 years of experience in the industry. Throughout her career she has worked for tech startups, PR agencies, international governments, and corporate firms. She is the founder of Forever Speaks PR a communications consultancy operating in Los Angeles, California. For more information, or just to chat about the PR industry, contact her on LinkedIn here.
Read other articles by Caroline James:
- How PR contributes to company sales
- Mix a generalist in with your specialist for that winning combination
- Like many in the digital age, PR faced its hurdles and readjusted to the new landscape — but it’s still an industry that thrives best with support
- The PR job hunter can learn from out-of-work actors seeking their big break
- Priority switches to the worker in the era of COVID-19
