Employee Communication Tips in COVID-19

As COVID-19 and government restrictions continue to affect businesses, owners are struggling to make their comeback. Much of a company's success is dependent on having a trained team that knows your clients and business because there is only so much business owners can do alone. Our HR consultants are sharing with business owners best practices on communicating to their employees. It is important to be sure to communicate regularly with your team in two areas: business communication and employee communication.

For business communication, our HR consultants recommend sharing:
➜ Often daily/weekly
➜ Financial status of the company is always a best practice but more important now where many businesses are in trouble
➜ Challenges and how you plan to meet them
➜ Tentative time-frames
➜ Honestly but with reassurance
➜ Safety protocols and crisis management plan

For employee care communication, our HR consultants recommend sharing:
➜ Your appreciation and that we are going to get through this together
➜ That you will do your best to provide advance notice of any changes, but don’t over promise
➜ We have no new updates and reiterate last update
➜ Performance regularly - what they are doing right, suggestions on how to improve and overcoming obstacles

Why it is important
➜ Anything an employee can imagine will be inaccurate at best and more likely a worst case scenario. Employees can have wild imaginations and with the absence of information, they will come up with their own conclusions.
➜ Frequent communication eases fears and stimulates employee loyalty. Less frequent communication can be perceived as withholding information.
➜ Fear abounds in this time for health, financial and safety
➜ Everyone is stressed and need reassurance
➜ Fear of job loss and they are looking for their job plan B as the amount of job loss has been something they likely have never seen before
➜ Providing information and resources will help staff to make the best decision. Consider offering financial and stress workshops and being a resource to your staff for information to point them in the right direction.

Need a step by step plan safety and protocol for COVID-19? Don’t go it alone, contact our HR consultants at Baker HR Services