The Corona crisis allowed us to look differently at the importance of internal communications, from now on it is not only about supporting the employer brand and increasing employee engagement, it is above all an information field that allows people to experience change. Change can include not only the external factors that we face in 2020, but also changes within the organization itself. It's worth taking note of a few principles that we've been following lately:
It is critical that internal communications be in the hands of one "stakeholder," namely a single speaker throughout the change process, explanations of what is happening are extremely important, as well as regularity of coverage. It is important to give employees the opportunity to give feedback on the events covered.
Important: Reactions to changes should be quick.
Can I prepare for any situation/crisis?
It is not necessary to prepare specifically for a crisis. We can't know what lies ahead: a pandemic, global warming, or a change in leadership. It is important to understand the essence of change, to be aware, pay attention to detail, and not be lazy to study sources, regulations. It is important to be neutral and to appeal only to verified facts. Only then, will communications make sense and resonate.
Share your top five steps for an HR manager who has to work with crisis communications? What do you need to keep on hand first and foremost? What to be able to do?
Top 5 steps for HR in dealing with crisis communications:
1. Identify the situation, which is to get answers to questions only from official sources (what's going on, where and by whom);
2. Choose a communication strategy (who, how, how often, on what platform);
3. Formulate a message (what action we encourage employees to take);
4. evaluate the effectiveness of the chosen strategy;
5. Always ask for feedback.
In order to lead any communication, it is important to be able to work with a large number of sources, to eliminate subjectivity, and be sure to think about the usefulness of your communication. It should not contain a dry list of facts, it should contain personalization, recommendations and reference to sources. Don't forget to give people the opportunity to ask questions.
What will your presentation at the HR Communications conference on March 2 be about? What will you share with the participants?
Case: Anti-crisis HR-communications: how to be one step ahead?
I will talk about the essence of communication, and its importance, regardless of whether we are experiencing the crisis, or living a normal life. We will talk about what strategy to choose and whether to deviate from the set course under the influence of external circumstances. We will discuss the routine work of HR, the reactions of people and, most importantly, the result. We'll analyze possible mistakes.