Communicating with Employees During These Times

The pandemic forced many changes in how employers lead their organizations.?Business practices have changed and people practices continue to evolve.?While there are hopes of these changes being only temporary, the experience of being an organization that pivots and responds appropriately to change will undoubtedly continue to come in handy.?Adaptability has been proven to be an important skill for employers as they pivot during difficult times.?Employers must be dynamic, nimble and creative.?In addition, employers are also learning how to keep communication strong while employees are working apart.?To be able to do so effectively employers must:

Deliver Information Clearly and Timely. Employers undoubtedly know that communication is a very important part of leading employees. HR leaders been known to ask; “Is it documented?”, “Did you tell the employees and made sure they understood?”, “Did you follow up with a written notice so that there is no confusion regarding the message?”.?The reason HR leaders continue to reiterate these details is to ensure that there is no room for ambiguity. Giving employees information verbally and again in writing helps to drive home the importance of the message.?While this is a great way to protect the employment message it is also very important to allow employees to provide feedback on any information they receive. Employee feedback can help clarify expectations and possibly adjust employment practices to allow employees to be successful. Delivering critical information to employees, timely, is one of the most important things in leadership and it is so very important to communicate with employees now while there are so many questions on employees' minds.

Encourage Two-Way Dialogue.?????Though employees may be working remote, or hybrid, fewer employees are in the office, employees are working odd shifts or varied schedules, communication has never been more important. It has been a pleasant surprise to see the number of individuals that continue to secure new roles during these uncertain times. While many organizations’ bottom line have been negatively affected and some employees are unemployed, there are still organizations hiring and employees securing new roles.?Employers communicating with their employees regularly and allowing for two-way communication are able to understand if current working conditions are satisfactory for their employees. This can help to determine if adjustments are needed.?Making changes to employee schedules or workspaces is just one example of how employers can potentially save a valuable employee from taking on a role with a different employer. In addition to being able to save an employee who might have otherwise left the organization, great communication strategies can also ensure that employers help employees work to their full potential. If an employee is cruising and doing the bare minimum and a manager or supervisor does not address the performance deficiencies and require that the employee improve, he or she will likely continue to produce mediocre work. Employees not meeting the expectations of the employer many times will not improve their performance on their own and over time could continue to produce even less work and be a liability to the organization.?Said another way - an employee left to work on his or her own with no or insufficient communication will likely perform poorly. While all organizations want a workforce that is engaged and performing at maximum capacity, especially now, that is not the only reason to communicate regularly and openly with employees.

Make Information Sharing Easy.?Everything has changed since the pandemic and while most leaders would like to believe that they have their pulse on the business, the real eyes and ears of the business are the front-line employees.?Having regular and open dialogue with those employees will help employers know what needs to change within the business to adjust to the changes brought on by the pandemic. Organizations now have the need to pivot during these challenging times and the most accurate information to help guide critical changes will likely come from the front-line employees.

“…..it has never been more important for employers to establish and keep a clear communication channel with all employees…..”

It’s also important to get feedback on what processes need to change. Should the employee break room and timekeeping procedures change? Should schedules and work spaces change? Those answers can be found in speaking with employees. While employee wishes and feedback are not always the only way to make changes within the organization it most times is a main factor in making meaningful and sustainable organizational changes. Understanding what benefits and resources are needed to help employees stay whole is important and having open conversations will encourage employees to share the details necessary to guide employers in offering resources to help employees live whole lives and continue to be valuable to the organization.

Use Different Methods to Reach Employees.?How do you communicate when employee shifts are not matching with that of the business leaders??How do you communicate when you are used to having in person conversations and employees are now working remote? How do you communicate when you have employees who speak multiple languages, you only speak English and relied on interpreters in the workplace to help you with those conversations? Now is the time to communicate on every possible platform available to you.?Organizations that have not previously used social media, podcasts or newsletters to communicate with employees should do so now. A business that starts to communicate with employees in different ways and get little to no participation should consider running a contest to get employees interested and engaged. There are many low-cost contest ideas that can yield incredible engagement results. Town halls and employee email blasts are also great ways to get information out to employees. It is highly recommended that employers always include a link or email address that encourages and reminds employees to share ideas, comments and concerns. At the start of the pandemic many organizations held daily updates and town hall meetings with employees to share the state of the organization and gauge the pulse of their employees. Some of these organizations have since adjusted to infrequent town hall meetings. However, the frequency of the employee communication should be driven by the employees’ involvement and the message the organization needs to deliver. Some organizations have large enough workspaces and small enough workforces to hold town hall meetings in person. However, the vast majority of employers are holding town hall meetings virtually, via the various electronic platforms available to do so. Organizations that have a workforce that speak different languages should take the time to translate the various messages been shared and ensure that all employees are receiving the same messages.

“……While employee wishes and feedback are not always the only way to make changes within the organization it most times is a main factor in making meaningful and sustainable organizational changes…….”

Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. Having regular connection with employees is as important now as it has ever been. Thorough and effective communication strategies can save employees and employers in more ways than one. The way an employer chooses to communicate now must match what is best for the organization. Very few, if any, organizations can stick with one communication mode during these times. Messages should be crafted and shared far and wide and multiple resources should be utilized to ensure all employees are receiving the message the organization intends to share. Leaders must ask for and encourage regular feedback.?It is also critical to ensure it is easy for employees to share their thoughts and feelings with the leaders within the business.?Translating messages, if the business employs an employee population that can benefit from the message being in a different language will go a long way to ensure no employee is left out.

As an employer there is an expectation that employees will receive useful communication. Providing information that an employee needs to be effective in their role is an important part of being a great leader. Tailoring the messages in a way that make it most useful to employees is also an important point to consider. Recognizing the importance of information sharing, prioritizing it and being consistent in sharing relevant details will strengthen the employer/employee relationship.