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The coronavirus pandemic has been a defining moment for employers across the nation. As we’ve all seen in the news recently, how companies respond to their employees during this uncertain time will define brands for years to come.
CommCore, an expert in crisis communications, subscribes to what we call the “4Fs rule” for Critical Communications. The 4Fs helps us remember the four most important principles of crisis communications:
- Factual
- Frequent
- Fast
- Flexible
In our current coronavirus pandemic, we believe your employer should be communicating with you in a Factual, Frequent, Fast, and Flexible way.
Is your employer communicating with you in the most effective, helpful way possible? You be the judge. Let’s drill down and apply the CommCore 4F’s to employer / employee communications.
FACTUAL:
A crisis such as COVID-19 is the time an employer should provide clear, proactive, realistic, yet encouraging communications to you as an employee. Recent research from the Edelman Trust Barometer shows that employees believe their employer is the most credible source for COVID-19 updates.
Examples of how your employer should be communicating with you include:
- In every communication, your employer should provide relevant links to credible sources of information such as the CDC.gov, state, and local government.
- Good employers provide scripts on how to get a company’s core message across during this time – i.e. how to handle client concerns and complaints; that internal operations will be continuing as normal until X date; that employees will be working from home until Y date etc.
- Good employers provide employees with locally relevant links to hotlines, crisis centers, and resources where appropriate.
- Good employers provide updates on unemployment, mortgage services, and other resources where appropriate.
FREQUENT:
Frequent communication is key during this time.Your employer should include:
- Clear updates on sick leave, vacation, and policies such as Families First Coronavirus Response Act and how managers should discuss information with their employees.
- Clear expectations of staff and deliverables during remote working.
- Platforms such as SLACK or other instant messaging tools to push out frequent information as many are remote working.
- 48% of employees prefer a company-wide email or newsletter. – Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report
FAST:
Anytime there is a major announcement from national or local authorities, you’ll probably ask these questions:
- So What?
- Who Cares?, and
- WIIFM (What’s in it For Me?).
Your employer should be providing relevant answers to these questions quickly and consistently.
FLEXIBLE:
Flexibility applies to the channels of communications used, as well as the ability to adjust messaging.
To create flexible channels, a good employer decides how to best handle different types of messaging, and considers which medium works best for that message.
For example, a message that is especially time-sensitive, like updated sick leave or PTO policies, might work best in writing, via email. A message reassuring employees about the state of the company, and plans for the future might be better handled via a video message from the CEO. Day-to-day updates among team members specific to their business unit or with strategies on how to handle customers might work best via collaborative channels like Slack or Instant Messaging.
Flexibility also means your employer should not be absolute and rigid in messaging content delivered to you in times of crisis. As an employee, you know this a dynamic situation. Your employer should convey to you that messages, policies, and directions may be changing rapidly.
- Your employer should take this opportunity to enhance bland, text-only communications. According to research by Springer, people following directions with text and illustrations do 323% better than those following directions without illustrations. Visual messages, such as infographics, have a 65% higher engagement rate than text-only.
- Another example of content flexibility has to do with the ever-changing nature of our current pandemic situation. Your employer should be demonstrating flexibility and adaptability on when to expect employees to report back to work.
DOES YOUR EMPLOYER GET IT?
At CommCore, we believe crisis is a great time for companies to pivot and embrace improved communications strategies with you, their employees. Great employer / employee communications is not only good for business. it’s also the right thing to do in any situation.
Learn More About CommCore’s Crisis Communications counsel, trainings and services:
Contact our Crisis Communications Trainers & Consultants
We are available and can put you in touch with the right person to counsel you on your specific communications challenge, or create a crisis communications workshop specifically tailored to your unique issue.
To schedule a PressureTest™ Demo or get answers quickly, call us at (202) 659-4177 or email info@CommCoreConsulting.com to contact our crisis communications firm today.
Learn more about CommCore’s PressureTest™ Crisis Program.