Lately, crises have become increasingly common. Several well-known organizations across various sectors experience them. Some emanate from corporate fraud, while others relate to environmental and climate change parameters. Whatever the cause may be, crises can be a tumultuous time for an entity and its employees.
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of such circumstances is that one must continue working despite it all. Often, an emergency remains limited to a specific geography before expanding into a widespread event. Employees in core functions, such as production and distribution, must continue meeting their targets.
At such times, the human resources team plays a critical role. HR executives must give reassurance and support to employees as the parent company struggles. The tips below can guide HR professionals in handling this challenging situation.
1. Share the Complete Facts
When a crisis grips an organization, the employees may hear various versions of the events. It is natural to imagine the worst-case scenario when panic takes hold. For example, some may fear that the crisis could lead to a shutdown of operations, putting their jobs at stake.
The HR team must take the initiative to share the complete picture with the employees. While some details may be confidential, the staff deserves to know the events that led to the crisis and how the company feels about the scenario. This step ensures that the employees are less likely to believe random stories from others and also keeps them from spreading misinformation.
Besides situational events, companies should also educate employees about other events that can affect their jobs. For example, the World Economic Forum reports that the world could lose up to 3.8 percent of working hours by 2030 due to high temperatures created by climate change. This phenomenon could also damage transport routes and other business assets.
Employees who remain updated with these changes can upskill and reskill to safeguard their earning potential and find fulfillment in the workspace.
2. Discuss the Future Outlook and Its Impact on the Workforce
A primary cause for concern for employees at this time is job security. The HR team must emphasize proactive communication to address these fears. Town hall meetings and broadcast emails can be successful tactics for reaching a wider audience quickly.
For instance, consider the case of Sterigenics, the prominent medical sterilization company that is now facing legal action. The Sterigenics lawsuit claims that the organization did not control its emissions of ethylene oxide or EtO. This exposed many workers and local communities to cancer.
This crisis has brought the company under harsh public scrutiny. TorHoerman Law notes that the workers in sterilization plants have likely inhaled EtO for extended periods. This exposure may have increased their risk of cancer and neurological issues.
In these circumstances, the current staff may be under stress about their jobs. Such a crisis also has ethical and moral connotations.
HR teams in crisis-ridden companies can mitigate tensions by communicating ongoing actions, such as taking corrective steps and not planning to shrink the employee base. Even in situations that demand restructuring, communication can help employees plan their next step without experiencing last-minute panic.
3. Involve Employees in Crisis Management, Not Window Dressing
Involving employees in managing the crisis is another effective way to reassure them. It can help workers feel more engaged and in control of the circumstances. Moreover, involving employees from different teams in crisis management also makes strategic sense. They bring diverse competencies to the table, from technical solutions to better outward communication.
However, employees must participate in meaningful endeavors, not window-dressing activities. For example, an organization facing charges of greenwashing cannot benefit from having employees participate in a last-minute volunteering drive. Moreover, such patchwork efforts can lead the staff to judge the organization harshly, evoking feelings of being cheated or cheating others.
Instead, the HR team can invest in training and educating employees on communicating during a crisis. These skills can help monitor social media channels during an emergency, a time that calls for all hands on deck. Forbes strongly recommends providing crisis management training to employees to cultivate a more prepared culture and expedite the response.
Training can also help firms struck by cybersecurity threats–another legitimate concern affecting contemporary companies, as Marks and Spencer recently experienced. As the company recovers from the crisis, it has issued a note of thanks to loyal customers who believed in the strength of its offerings.
Encouraging employees to contribute productively to crisis management (instead of sitting around and fretting) is a brilliant way to improve their morale and engagement.
Crises can slow down an organization’s operations, affecting its daily productivity and public image. In a constantly changing business landscape, the likelihood of emergencies is also higher. Communities are now more aware, and news travels faster than ever.
Staying alert and offering reassurance to the employees—the foundation of an enterprise—can help leaders manage adverse situations.