It was already important to take care of your employees, but The Great Resignation has made it a (if not THE) top priority. We’re still living in a time where everything seems to be constantly in flux or a game-time decision.
This article will tell you five reasons why communicating with employees proactively will help retain and attract new talent.
Have compassion and clarity in your communications
We’re all going through a lot. Take care of your business by taking care of your employees. In addition to keeping their concerns in mind, practice clarity.
If you want to kick your compassion up a notch, extend it to their partners and families. Acknowledge and show gratitude for how the disruptions in your employees’ lives have or have impacted their loved ones. Essential workers have faced significant risks on the job, while others may still be struggling to adapt to the work-from-home lifestyle. What may seem like a small gesture to you may considerably impact how they cope with the seemingly endless crisis.
Employees should regularly hear from you (or other members of leadership)
How often? This depends on the company. Some companies have a weekly check-in with either their entire organization or broken down into teams. Consider holding monthly calls or virtual town halls if that’s too frequent. There’s no one-size-fits-all. What’s important is that they happen regularly, and your employees feel like they can bring questions and concerns that’ll actually be taken care of instead of brushed aside. If you can’t get to all the questions during the allotted time, set up a system to respond to them offline. If specific questions can be answered by their direct supervisors or team leads, even better! But make sure you’ve empowered them to not only listen to you but have the authority to take action.
Related Post: Are you in the middle of a crisis and need to take control of your communications? Make sure to read Bringing Sexy Back: Strategic Communications.
Supervisors and team leads need support, too
Those in levels of authority or are natural nurturers may feel like “It’s my job” or “Of course I need to care for my team.” Sometimes, if left to their own devices, they’ll run themselves down trying to take care of others without realizing they’ve entirely drained their self-care battery. Make sure you check in with and monitor feedback from your managers. Listen for ways to provide them with authority to make decisions and resources.
Stop making excuses
If finding the time when everyone can connect is impossible due to time zones or other commitments, consider sending a weekly email update of the top highlights. If writing isn’t your cup of tea? Try shooting a video and sharing it on your company’s communications platform. Loom is an excellent tool for shooting and sharing videos. Regardless of the platform you use, remember to consider how the update(s) you’re sharing impacts the recipient’s life.
Encourage employees to connect and help each other
It doesn’t need to all come from you. A Slack channel or WhatsApp group for employees to share resources about working-from-home with kids during distance learning, COVID tests availability, how they’re coping with a quarantine, child or elder care tips, etc. I’m part of several group chats and Facebook groups filled with people trying to support each other whenever they can.
If you need help in crafting your message, protecting your reputation, and mitigating damage during a crisis, click here for a free 15-minute consultation or call us at (310) 396-8696.
Gillott Communications is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that specializes in high-stakes Crisis & Reputation Management with more than 50 years of expertise in strategic communications, corporate public relations, and working with the media.
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