The last couple of months have been intense for internal communicators. Driven by purpose, passion and commitment, we’ve been responsible for communicating volumes of information, at a previously unimaginable pace. As communicators begin to shift from stay-at-home to return-to-work mode, we at SPI Group have been reflecting on the communication norms established during this time – and those that are likely here to stay.
Daily updates: Employees’ expectations of frequent and timely communication are higher than ever. In the early days of the pandemic, most of our clients were communicating COVID-19-related information daily. While the frequency has waned in many cases to weekly, it remains consistent. As companies shift their focus to communicating the timing and policies around employees returning to work, it’s likely that cadence will ratchet back up.
Leader authenticity: Employees had an opportunity to see their leaders as real people in very personal environments. Whether through emails, Zoom meetings or podcasts, leaders empathized with the fear, worry and stress their people were experiencing and shared their own feelings. Going forward, communicators should coach their leadership to embrace this shift and continue to communicate with authenticity.
Online resource centers with topic-specific information: These “all things COVID” resource centers served as a central hub for location-specific COVID-19 guidelines, work-at-home resources, FAQs, health information, leadership updates, and more. As stay-at-home restrictions begin to ease, they’re becoming the place for return-to-work guidelines, too.
Employees are likely to continue to seek out information based on major life events. Internal communicators can contribute to a better employee experience by aggregating information across business functions, i.e. HR and IT, to help employees navigate planning for maternity leave, relocation and other events.
Encouraging employees to stay engaged and connected: Zoom and other videoconferencing services are now the default for business meetings. But employees are also using the technology to socialize and team build at a distance. Activities have ranged from sharing photos of their work-at-home setups to playing games like virtual Pictionary to hosting virtual happy hours.
All signs indicate the return to work will be phased. Which means employees will continue to be dispersed for quite some time. Internal communicators will need to leverage creativity along with technology to keep employees engaged and connected while logistical barriers remain in place.
Recognizing remote employees: Quarantine shined a spotlight on being able to recognize the contributions of employees working from home. The need to recognize remote employees doesn’t end when lock down ends. Internal communicators can carry forward the strategies and channels used during quarantine to recognize and promote the accomplishments of non-desk workers – field sales, manufacturing, and transportation, for example.
Addressing employees’ health and well-being: Companies recognized the potential physical and emotional ramifications of quarantine and took an increased interest in promoting employee’s well-being. In some cases, organizations increased communication around counseling hotlines and stress management tips, while others chose to organize fitness challenges.
Employees will always have to contend with the stresses of modern life. Communicators would do well to counsel their management to continue demonstrating a culture of concern and empathy.
What communication learnings will you carry forward as we enter the next phase of navigating the pandemic?
Excellent post, @OllieHartsield! The one point I’ll take the liberty of adding is that as leaders empathize with what their followers are experiencing, it’s important for leaders to encourage them see the opportunity in everything, even in these uncertain times, and to lead with courage. Do so, and your followers will follow!
Good observations. What’s interesting is that in many cases, companies were already heading here. And for managers at all levels, it reinforces (or perhaps just demonstrates) that they don’t have to physically watch their employees. It’ll be interesting to see if work at home continues, how business processes and people adapt and how it impacts creativity.
Good to see such thought leadership continuing to come from SPI Group.