3 Ways to Keep People at the Center of HR Crisis ... - Oracle

3 Ways to Keep People at the Center of HR Crisis Communications

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Employers and their employees alike are

no strangers to the change and disruption

caused by the pandemic. From its inception

and through the months that followed, organiza-

tions and their workers witnessed supply chain

turmoil that left store shelves empty at times and

record-level attrition that caused hospitals, restau-

rants, and other businesses to be understaffed. 1

The situation was a stark reminder of how quickly

and drastically a crisis can impact the economy, the

job market, and daily life.

Employees, spurred in part by these events, are

putting more emphasis on their lives outside of

work and are expecting more from their employers

when they’re on the job—whether it’s better health

and safety protocols, greater flexibility to care for

their families, or the chance to develop new skills

and grow their careers.2 In some cases, this shift

is leading workers to explore new opportunities.

More than 47 million U.S. workers quit their jobs

in 2021 alone, a trend of attrition that is impacting

almost every area of business and resulting in

talent shortages, disrupted business plans, and

ongoing supply chain challenges.3

It’s against this backdrop that employers are

realizing the critical need to invest in a high-quality

employee experience and the central role commu-

nications play in it, particularly during a crisis. Yet

communication is one area many employees say

their employers could improve, with more than half

of workers and executives polled by The Society for

Human Resource Management (SHRM) saying their

organizational culture had worsened during the

pandemic due to breakdowns in communication.4

While a crisis might be unpredictable, the pandemic

has demonstrated that the next crisis can happen

at any time—from legal disputes and health-related

scares to economic downturns and natural disas-

ters. Today’s HR leaders have an opportunity to

use the lessons of the pandemic and other crises

to build a proactive crisis communications plan

that gives employees confidence in the organiza-

tion and keeps employee experience at the center.

This plan must prioritize employee experience at

every stage of the crisis and go beyond the crisis

itself by helping employees adjust in the aftermath,

incorporating new lessons learned, and rethinking

policies and procedures to better assist employees

going forward.

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Why crisis communications matter

Clear, effective communication is one of the best

deterrents to chaos and confusion during a crisis.

An organization’s crisis communications can be

separated into two branches: external and internal.

External communications are typically handled by

media relations and corporate communications

teams, which develop public-facing messaging that

helps customers and the broader community know

what’s happening. Internal messaging usually falls

to HR teams, who are expected to deliver timely

updates to employees, allay fears and concerns,

and communicate a well-defined path forward

through the crisis.

To keep messaging consistent and maintain trust

in the organization, companies should designate

a crisis executive to be its face for the duration of

the event. This executive brings together different

perspectives from various stakeholders—including

representatives in finance, legal, safety, and HR—

and uses them to inform decisions. It’s imperative

that this executive works hand-in-hand with both

internal and external-facing teams to ensure facts

are communicated consistently to the public as well

as to employees.

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Understanding the nuance in crisis communications

Every crisis is different. Some crises might stem

from the actions of an individual or group of

people, while others might be brought on by

natural disasters or diseases. Some are acute, with

pronounced effects lasting a short time, while

others are protracted, requiring different communi-

cation tactics over months or even years. According

to McKinsey, “Every crisis has a life cycle, and

emotional states and needs vary with the cycle’s

stages.”5 Designing an effective crisis communica-

tions plan requires HR leaders to understand what

they’ll need to do when a crisis strikes and in the

days, weeks, and months after.

Here are a few common crises affecting

organizations today, along with considerations

for tailoring your crisis communications plan to

address the situations:

Employee mental health: Many employees

struggle with mental health issues. According

to SHRM, “It’s critical for companies to provide

employees ways to address personal issues such

as anxiety and depression so their problems don’t

become so severe that they may lead to violence.”6

HR can offer support through Employee Assistance

Programs (EAPs) and other benefits that give your

workforce the time and resources to care for their

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mental health, but it’s important to recognize that

many employees may be reluctant to take part

in them due to stigma, cost, or misinformation.

As such, it’s vital that leaders and managers

encourage the use of these programs. This encour-

agement can take many forms, such as sharing

stories of their own struggles and gathering people

in large and small settings to stress the importance

of seeking support.7

Legal issue: Organizations can be rocked by legal

crises due to misconduct or errors by individuals

within the organization. These issues can harm an

employer’s credibility in the eyes of their people,

and they can escalate in complexity if employees

are among those bringing the claims. To prevent

issues before they start, HR should ensure that

every worker is familiar with company policies and

that these policies are kept current and accessible.

Additionally, when employees bring forward claims,

HR should explain their rights and any protections

that may be in place within the organization for

whistleblowers. Next, it’s HR’s responsibility to

investigate the claim and take appropriate action

based on findings.

Natural disaster: A natural disaster can drastically

impact a business, from causing power loss and

employee injuries to limiting access to company

property. One of the first things workers want

to know in a natural disaster is whether they’re

expected to report to their worksite.8 HR should

have an attendance plan in place that clearly

communicates these expectations before a

disaster so employees will know what to do when

a crisis happens.

IT crisis (ransomware, virus, network outage, etc.):

Cybersecurity attacks are becoming increasingly

common and can leave employees without access

to critical tools and infrastructure they rely on for

their work.9 HR leaders can ensure the organization

is prepared to withstand an attack by working

with respective departments before one occurs to

compile a list of all hardware and software in use

and to back up all critical information.10 If an attack

occurs, it’s crucial that HR share timely, accurate

information free from speculation or uncertainty.11

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Three key considerations for every crisis communications plan

1. Identify potential impacts on employee experience

Employees are an organization’s most invaluable

resource, and your crisis communications plan

should reflect this. Employees are more likely to

leave an organization if they feel their needs aren’t

being met—especially in a time of crisis when they

need help the most. When building or updating a

crisis communications plan, HR leaders should put

employees’ concerns front and center. This requires

thinking through the physical and emotional impact

of various scenarios on different employee groups

and considering what each group might need at

every step.

Questions to ask

 ● What do employees need to

know about the crisis to respond

effectively?

 ● What information do employees at

impacted locations need to be safe?

 ● How can your organization support

different employee groups at each

stage of the crisis?

 ● Will employees’ families be

impacted, and if so, what kind of

support might they need?

 ● What accommodations need to be

made to care for employees’ phys-

ical, mental, and emotional needs?

 ● How will your organization’s priori-

ties change to meet these needs?

 ● How will the crisis affect your team

and the way they work?

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HR should also analyze different crises, especially

ones more likely to occur in their industry or

locations, and prepare several solutions to address

possible impacts. It’s essential to create these

plans before a crisis because your organization will

not have time to discuss or create solutions in the

moment. Having an array of well-thought-out but

adaptable contingency plans will help your organi-

zation rise to the occasion—whatever that occasion

is. The plan should include methods for improving

employee morale, as well as soliciting and incorpo-

rating employee feedback on an ongoing basis.

Once HR understands the impact of different crisis

types, they will be able to determine the immediate

changes needed to support employees. If, for

example, an organization is preparing for potential

crises involving employees’ mental health, they

might solicit feedback from employees on whether

an EAP is effective and accessible—and what would

help to break down barriers to the use of mental

health care benefits. HR leaders and executives

might also host a panel where they openly share

how the EAP has helped them.

Remember, an HR crisis communications plan

is all about prioritizing and protecting people. A

decrease in employee wellbeing could hurt the

company’s performance at a critical moment.

For example, SHRM data collected during the

pandemic discovered that worker wellbeing has

a direct influence on work culture.12 That means

poor employee experiences lead to a decrease in

wellbeing, which negatively impacts morale and

the entire organization’s culture. On the other

hand, employee wellbeing can be improved by

communication: A recent MetLife study found that

when “employees are satisfied with the frequency

and clarity of communications from their employer,

they’re 177% more likely to be holistically well” and

“156% more likely to feel valued and appreciated.”13

This means HR leaders have an opportunity to

create a work culture and a crisis communications

plan that elevates employees’ needs and centers

around their experiences.

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2. Decide how you’ll communicate with employees and other stakeholders

A crisis communications plan is only as effective

as the data it’s built on. In a time of crisis, many

of the standard procedures for gathering people

and disseminating information are disrupted, so

it’s essential to have everyone’s contact informa-

tion, as well as a clear method for communicating

with them. Well before a crisis hits, HR leaders

should gather employees’ cell phone numbers,

desk numbers, and emails, as well as an emer-

gency contact. This information gives leadership

myriad ways to communicate what is often urgent

and quickly changing information about their

safety and livelihoods.

A well-formed crisis communications plan also

tells employees where to go for new information.

Starting with your first communication and in

subsequent communications, tell employees where

they can find the most up-to-date information.

HR should also strive to share information with

employees before it’s broadcast to the public.

In a severe weather event, for example, employees

will need to know if they are expected to report

to work, or when they need to leave work should

the disaster escalate while they are on the job.

HR leaders can set up a centralized website with

updates and provide backup through a calling tree

initiated by managers in the event the internet

goes down. If, on the other hand, an organization

is preparing for a live shooter incident, they could

establish an intra-office text update protocol and

practice using it with employees.

Crisis communication is not just about sharing

information, however. It’s also about building

trust, which is critical to maintaining the employee

experience and keeping workers safe and produc-

tive during a crisis. One key way to build trust is to

make a habit of connecting with stakeholders on a

human level long before a crisis begins.

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“If you want to build trust with somebody on day

one, tell them what’s expected and tell them what

good looks like,” says Pamela Stroko, vice president

of HCM transformation and thought leadership

at Oracle. If HR leaders build a strong relationship

with employees early on and show they care

enough to communicate with them day-to-day,

employees are much more likely to trust them in a

time of crisis.

When a crisis strikes, HR leaders should build on

the trust they have already established by sticking

to vetted facts and repeating them as often as

possible. Crisis messaging should display empathy

and candor, with an emphasis on follow-through.

“Whatever promises you make, you keep them,”

Stroko says. “You do what you say. You deliver what

you promise. You have the integrity of a straight

message.” If things go wrong—as they often do

in a crisis—an apology can go a long way toward

reestablishing trust.

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If you make a bold mistake, make a bold apology. There is nothing more trust-building than somebody saying, ‘We shouldn’t have done that.’

Pamela StrokoVice President of HCM Transformation and Thought Leadership at Oracle

The human touch is vital to successful crisis

communications. Prioritize face-to-face interactions,

whether in person or virtual, such as through

one-on-ones and town hall forums. A crisis commu-

nications plan should also clarify if HR or corporate

communications will own events such as town halls

and each department’s role across all aspects of the

plan. This way, there are no competing duties, and

it’s clear what each department is responsible for.

Regardless of the crisis at hand, organizations must

take control of the narrative early and ensure both

the communications and HR teams share the same

verified information externally and internally. This

requires implementing a review process to verify

facts before any information is communicated.

To help facilitate quick responses and avoid creating

competing sources of information, HR leaders

should dedicate an individual or team as the point

of contact for all messaging and communications.

Be sure to equip this team with the technology and

the associated skills needed to communicate effec-

tively in real-time. This technology could look like

an internal website dedicated to the issue, access

to office-wide email and apps, or phone notification

systems. In a crisis scenario, technology is not just

a means to an end. Rather, it’s a supplement to

in-person relationships and a tool for building trust.

“Figure out where technology enables trust and

figure out where you need human connections,”

Stroko says, “because both are necessary for your

success moving forward.”

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3. Build a better organization with what you learn

No organization wants to face a crisis. But by

preparing thoughtfully and evaluating the effective-

ness of your crisis communications plan after the fact,

your organization can learn and improve—not just to

more effectively tackle or prevent the next crisis, but

to build a better employee experience all around.

The process of strengthening your organization

through the lens of a crisis starts early. Creating a

crisis plan is just the first step. The second step is

testing your plan by participating in drills with your

organization’s other crisis management teams, such

as safety, finance, etc. This allows you to discover

gaps, ensure your plan fully supports the event

and employee experience, and see how well your

crisis communications plan complements other

teams to support the organization. Drills are an

indispensable learning opportunity and allow you

to make adjustments to improve, so you’ll be able

to respond that much better in the event of a crisis.

While employees are not typically involved in

large-scale crisis-related drills unless they are

actively working to support them, HR can help

empower workers by teaching skills that would

be useful in many situations, such as CPR, first

aid, and fire suppression. Employees also need to

know where to go in the event of a fire, earthquake,

tornado, active shooter situation, or other crisis

that could happen suddenly during the workday.

Practicing these scenarios with your workforce is

important. After a drill or training session, gathering

and actively listening to feedback is critical. It builds

trust and enhances the employee experience. Ask

what went well, what was missing, and what further

information or skills your employees need to feel

confident and prepared for whatever issues arise.

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Once things have settled, evaluate what worked

and what didn’t to refine your plan. The aftermath

of a crisis is also a critical time to check in with

your employees and ensure they feel safe, healthy,

and, if their work was interrupted, whether they

feel prepared to return to their job. Create open

channels of communication to listen deeply to

employees’ feedback, using a mix of in-person

and tech-based tools such as surveys, one-on-one

meetings, and town hall sessions.

Figure out where technology enables trust and figure out where you need human connections, because both are necessary for your success moving forward.

Pamela StrokoVice President of HCM Transformation and Thought Leadership at Oracle

If your organization faces a cyberattack, for

example, gather employee feedback to process

how the breach impacted their work and their trust

in the company’s technological infrastructure. Ask

your team members how they feel the company

handled the crisis, whether they received enough

information to feel safe, and what changes they’d

like to see going forward. It’s HR’s role to ensure

these conversations happen, are conducted

effectively, and result in positive changes to the

employee experience. By listening to concerns and

evaluating the causes and repercussions of the

attack, your crisis executive can present a cohesive

plan explaining how the company will fix glitches

and ensure something like this doesn’t happen

again. This transparency builds confidence with

your workforce, especially when their needs are at

the core of vital decisions.

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Conclusion

Employees are organizations’ most invaluable

resource—a fact reinforced by the swift and

dramatic impact the pandemic has had on work-

place viability. When a crisis strikes, the needs of

your people should come first. One way HR leaders

can ensure the employee experience is paramount

and that employees feel like they do come first is

by creating a robust crisis communications plan.

By designing your plan to be people-first, you can

ensure your workers will feel understood, respected,

and valued during a crisis and that they will work

collectively to weather the storm. In the long run,

preparing for and reacting effectively to a crisis can

build a stronger and more trustworthy organization.

The result is a high-quality employee experience

that can help attract and retain top talent.

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Sources

1 https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/01/economy/us-job-openings-quite-december/index.html

2 https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/employees-seek-personal-value-and-purpose-at-work-be-prepared-to-deliver

3 https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/01/economy/us-job-openings-quite-december/index.html

4 https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/research-and-surveys/documents/2021%20culture%20refresh%20report.pdf

5 https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/a-leaders-guide-communicat-

ing-with-teams-stakeholders-and-communities-during-covid-19

6 https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/all-things-work/Pages/safeguarding-employees-from-workplace-violence.aspx

7 https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/all-things-work/Pages/safeguarding-employees-from-workplace-violence.aspx

8 https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/risk-management/pages/winter-weather-hazards-storm-threats.aspx

9 https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ncas/alerts/aa22-040a

10 https://www.ready.gov/it-disaster-recovery-plan

11 https://www.publicpower.org/system/files/documents/Public-Power-Cyber-Incident-Response-Playbook.pdf

12 https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-news/pages/research-employees-rely-on-employer-culture-to-navigate-pandemic.aspx

13 https://www.metlife.com/employee-benefit-trends/

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