3 tricks to communicate with employees to get your employees through a crisis
Hurricane Irma shook the lives of employees everywhere.
From those who overcame the storm to the evacuees and even the family members of those directly affected, the lasting consequences are devastating.
But imagine that you are shocked if you receive this notification from your employer: “If you miss a job due to evacuation, you will be fired.” Unfortunately, according to a recent Ladders’ article, lawyers dealing with employment in Florida claim that this is the reality that some Florida residents may face.
While the law does not protect employees from dismissal due to these mitigating circumstances, HR professionals and employers should be prepared and ready to help their teams however they can. Whether they’re big or small, employees need to feel like they can trust their HR team to help them overcome any crisis situation.
The first place to start this is the strong communication efforts of employees. To get you started, I’ve compiled a list of three employee communication tactics so that your team can overcome any crisis:
1. Take the time to understand the situation.
The crises of many employees will not be as big or obvious to HR professionals as the last hurricanes. Therefore, employee communication is a key factor in dealing with the crisis.
Unfortunately, communication with company leaders may not be as frequent as your team would like. In fact, the OfficeVibe Employee Engagement Status report found that 31 percent of employees want their managers to communicate with them more often.
When you notice a sudden change in the behavior or performance of an employee, be sure to take a step back and evaluate the situation. Opening up employee lines of communication will help you understand what a team member is going through and help you make an informed decision to help them.
Remember to be careful when entering into these conversations.
A team member dealing with a difficult situation is already emotionally on the edge and is probably aware of his declining performance. Start by letting them know that you are not here to judge them or, worse, throw them out, but instead try to fully understand what they are dealing with so that you can get them back on track.
2. Do not make promises that you can not keep.
The communication of 101 employees teaches HR professionals not to promise anything excessively. It sounds simple enough – until someone on your team struggles with a personal crisis. After burial, and indeed, if you understand what the employee is going through, it is easy to overcome him with emotions.
In HR, this emotion is often met with a deep desire to fix anything and everything that can be done. However, you and the company can only offer so much. Big promises that the company cannot fulfill financially will cause a bigger problem for you and your team.
So, when an employee turns to you with a problem and you are not sure of an immediate solution, take a moment to consult with the team and company leaders. Let the employee know that you will empathize with their situation and offer to help them in any way you can realistically can. You will play it safe by not making promises that you can’t keep and they will appreciate devoting time to investing in their needs.
3. Be proactive.
Do not sit back and wait for an employee crisis to arise to understand how you can help. Employee communication regarding any problems should be continuous and frequent. This way, your team will know that you consider them to be more than just a working part of a company machine and that HR cares for them as human beings.
Start organizing a library of resources that are instantly available to employees. If and when a crisis occurs, your team will know exactly how their company can help and where they can find solutions.
Increase availability by placing these resources on the online employee portal. This will help employees who need help but are not ready to open up to management or HR about their situation.
Above all, the key to your team overcoming any crisis is healthy employee communication. When your team knows that any problem can open up to you, be it a personal or career issue, your chances of effectively resolving the situation will be better than ever.