Exclusives: Importance of Crisis
Communication to Keep Employees
Motivated During Times of Intense Scrutiny
Crisis communication as an area of business practice has been garnering spotlight lately. It’s been a
subject of deliberation by business leaders in the current economic times. With the global talent crunch
and optimistic job market outlook in 2016, there is a dearth of talented candidates with on-demand
skills.
Through an exclusive interview with Stacey Engle, Executive Vice-President of Marketing, Fierce Inc, we
draw further insights on the need to establish transparency and communicate the truth to employees
during times of intense scrutiny. This will help retain talented workforce within the company. Read on…
1. How can management teams of companies foster communication, inquisition, transparency and
vulnerability in times of crisis to help keep business moving and motivate internal staff?
Keeping employees motivated and informed during time of crisis should be top priority on the
management teams’ agenda. If the internal staff feels they are in dark on an issue and cannot address
rumours they hear, there will be a significant decrease in the trust and morale throughout the entire
organization.
Holding frequent 1:1 check-ins as well as group meetings opens the floor for communication and
transparency. These meetings are an opportunity for the internal staff to ask questions and in turn, for
leaders to ask their employees for help.
Addressing the truth and asking for advice will ensure your employees feel trusted and that their
opinions are valued. Welcoming this internal communication throughout the entirety of the crisis will
help silence the noise outside and keep employees motivated and focused towards the big picture by
carefully aligning their day-to-day activities and goals.
2. When an executive’s credibility is called into question, how can embracing radical transparency
help?
First and foremost, executives must address the issue and admit to any faults. Sure there are two sides
to a story, but being honest and admitting to mistakes is the first step to embracing transparency. Doing
this upfront will eliminate the circulation of rumours in your organization and prevent any secrets from
appearing in the news later on.
Laying the truth on the line will most likely bring follow-up questions, so be sure to make yourself
available to answer these questions and remain open to the advice you are given.
The transparency you establish and the trust you build with your employees during a time of intense
scrutiny will trickle through the organization and carry on even after the issue is resolved.
3. Please explain this: “Transparency leads to a domino effect of benefits that will keep employees
motivated and focused and renew trust during a time of crisis.”
Tell the truth and invite it from others. The level of transparency you see in your organization depends
on your level of transparency every day. Leading through example and creating an environment that
fosters honest conversations with employees will make dealing with major and minor issues much
simpler.
4. What should companies do to help lead their teams during times of intense scrutiny and ensure
key talent retention?
Hold weekly team meetings until the issue is resolved or scrutiny passes. During these meetings, you
should welcome any and all questions to make sure your employees are well-informed. Criticism via
news outlets and social media is likely to brew rumours.
By leaving items unaddressed, employees will naturally fill the silence with their own assumptions, likely
believing the worst case scenario out of fear. So you need to create a safe space where employees feel
confident and they will hear the truth. This will help clear their minds and maintain their focus and
motivation throughout crisis situations.
5. How should a company deal with layoffs scenario, during crisis times?
Once crisis has struck you can’t turn back the clock. Lay out your conclusions, your solutions and
strategy. If layoffs are the result and outcome of your mistake, be honest about it and develop a plan to
move forward.
Rumours eventually blow over and disgruntled employees move on, but it is important to take
responsibility and let your current employees know where the company stands. In addition, make
yourself available to employees you have laid off, keeping communication open with past and current
employees will help retain their respect and trust.
Stacey Engle, Executive Vice-President of Marketing, Fierce Inc
6. Please share your insights on the role of HR in crisis management?
While a CEO is a key figure in addressing issues publically and internally, the HR department should also
be transparent and offer themselves as a resource for employees, who have questions or need council
during difficult times.
Developing crisis communication plans ahead of time can help reduce panic and stress if/when disaster
strikes. Also, providing support to the CEO will provide them with more time to fine-tune their plan of
action and successfully execute it.
7. How are corporations like Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Costco and Nationwide making most of the
Fierce’s ground-breaking approach? Please explain.
By investing in the whole person and equipping someone internally to have better conversations in the
workplace, these corporations, through Fierce’s training, are able to incorporate performance
management initiatives, create strong company culture, better develop their leaders and drive more
powerful results through communication.
Given that, more and more job candidates are motivated by purpose, not money, organizations that
invest in the whole person and support meaningful conversations within the company will be able to
provide their employees with a feeling of purpose within the company.
See: Challenges to Crisis Communication in HR: Are You Prepared?
8. People and talent management during crisis is one key issue that needs attention, how can HR
managers deal with attrition at workplace during crisis?
Keep your culture on top of mind. HR managers should host forums, fireside chats and other
mechanisms to encourage the conversations that need to take place. Get executive sponsorship to show
the dedication, the team has to taking the company where it needs to go.
Having the entire company on the same page and providing transparency on the issue at hand will
enable employees to feel they have a purpose for staying back at the company and that their opinions
and help are both needed and valued.
9. How can organizations help develop crisis leadership among employees?
Fierce aims to start with the word leadership and developing each person’s ability to talk with
authenticity and sincerity. Organizations can help by providing conversations training to their
employees. Learning how to have conversations and address the real issues is critical to building crisis
leadership.
We at Fierce often share that trust is developed by persistent identity. Meaning, you need to learn how
to show up in any situation as yourself and speak from your real voice. This is a continual journey, and
yet, that self-awareness and skill really increases when trained and continually practiced.
10. Explain the role of effective communication and transparency in processes during crisis
management?
A leader, who embodies transparency by telling the truth and sharing their plan, will be respected far
more than those who hide from their mistakes. There is something within us that responds to those who
level with us, even if they are in the wrong. Being honest is the first step in ensuring communication is
effective.
Second, ask for advice and be open to the opinions of your employees, even if they are not in line with
yours. Next, provide feedback. Often leaders will brush off suggestions because of the stress they feel
holding the responsibility as a key decision maker. Meaningful feedback to employees will let them
know you are listening and value their perspective.
Lastly, share the plan you decide to put into action, keeping transparency throughout the entire crisis
situation will help set the standard for how to deal with company issues moving forward.
11. What are your workplace predictions as regards future of HR in 2016 and beyond till 2020?
In 2016, Generation Z will join the workforce, new technologies will inspire self-management, killing the
yearly review process and money will not be the main motivation in taking up a new position.
Employees will be motivated by individual purpose and company missions, as much as salary and
benefits. Below are five predictions Fierce Inc. has developed for the coming year:
1. Recruiting Talent – Job Candidates Motivated by Purpose, Not Money
In 2016, job candidates will want to ensure a potential company’s purpose and mission aligned with
values they hold near and dear to their hearts. Values and purpose, over tangible items such as salary,
will become an increasingly important factor in the decision-making process in the competitive job
market.
In fact, a high salary is the least important aspect of a job to both men and women, whereas holding a
job they enjoy is the most important aspect, according to Pew Research Center. With the rise of social
media and online publishing, CEOs and other executives have reached celebrity status unlike ever
before.
This gives them a platform to communicate their personal and professional aspirations directly with the
public. It also means that the CEO’s vision and persona will be highly influential in the recruiting process,
placing a whole new level of responsibility on leaders to accurately represent and depict the mission and
ideals of the organization.
2. Job Flexibility – The Sharing Economy Inspires Job Sharing Programs
Employees expect a degree of flexibility in today’s working world, whether that entails setting their own
hours or working remotely. In 2016, employers will need to think out-of-the-box in terms of flexibility,
by offering creative solutions to employees.
2016 will see the rise of innovative job share programs that draw from principles of the sharing
economy. Through job share programs, employees who seek fewer work hours can share shifts on the
same role, and work as a team to fill one full-time position.
3. Performance Management – Real-Time Analytics Go to Work
In 2016, employees will have the ability to track their on-the-job performance data through technologies
like people analytics to gain a better understanding of where they dedicate their time and energy, and
how their performance stacks up with others of a similar job title.
Because of greater access to performance metrics, feedback will be provided throughout the year via
dashboards, rather than only during formal yearly reviews. As such, managers can take on the role of a
coach, empowering their direct reports to self-manage.
This allows managers to redirect some of their time to other high-level business strategy tasks, while
providing Millennials, a generation that values independence, a style that minimizes micro-managing
and integrates technology into their daily lives.
4. Management – Workforce Generations Require Shifting Management Styles
Whether you like it or not, Generation Z is entering the workforce and with Baby Boomers still logging
their hours, meaning there will be five generations with a 50 year age difference. In 2016, we will see
drastic differences in work ethic, approach and management styles.
Effective managers will need to be able to adapt on the fly to different employees and find different
ways to foster collaboration across generations. Managers will need to understand that each individual,
young or old, has their own set of skills and should encourage co-mingling to teach each other.
Younger generations can teach how to use emerging technologies and to leverage social media, while
the older employees can instil the value of face-to-face communication, internal networking and
building relationships.
5. Intrapreneurship– Employees Will Think like Entrepreneurs
Employees just entering the workforce have witnessed tremendous start-up success and seen their
peers gain celebrity-like status through social media channels like Instagram and Vine – this makes them
hungry to achieve the same success.
2016 will see a rise of large multinational companies creating start-up centric programs or spin-offs to
attract these individuals and drive innovation. Incubator-like training programs will build different skill
sets for employees, but the programs will need to be more interactive and provide opportunities for
employees to apply the lessons and skills to real life situations.