Internal Comms in a Crisis

Embracing a culture of open comms doesn’t just mean you shout about the good stuff. It means you maintain transparency and integrity during times of crisis too. Workplace crises are unfortunately pretty inevitable, and people leaders and internal communicators have the tough job of keeping their colleagues informed in a way that includes them but also doesn’t damage their morale.

To help, Simon Rutter has put together a cheat sheet you can use to guide your internal comms in a crisis plan.

Check it out below (and click to download!).

Here’s a quick preview of Simon’s tips

1. Define what a crisis means for your company

The first step in preparing and planning for a crisis is to determine what constitutes a crisis for your company.

As with all these points, there is no right answer, only what works best for your organization. So, you need to be clear on what determines a crisis for your company, including criteria (employee safety, share price etc).

2. Establish and communicate roles and responsibilities

This is about being crystal clear on who is doing what with regard to internal communications.

Using an employee app such as Workvivo enables you to connect directly with your frontline and desk-based employees. Creating a single source of truth for everyone will give your people clarity, increase their confidence in your organization, and build trust.

3. Provide clear guidance on what you expect employees to do

Employee apps allow for this information to be shared quickly across your entire organization, so no one is in the dark.

4. Establish feedback mechanisms

In a crisis, it’s crucial that your employees on the ground can give feedback.

5. Communicate with staff in real-time

Employee apps ensure news can be instantly pushed out to everyone in your organization, with no delays and no chance for them to hear it elsewhere first.

6. Best practices for written communications

Video is particularly good for connecting emotionally with your people. Workvivo’s social features mean leaders can share videos and reach their people in real time, reassuring them and delivering key messages.

7. Encourage community and connection

A crisis can exacerbate employee feelings of loneliness. An employee app helps your people remain connected to each other, bond over shared experiences, and provide some light relief. Crises can be stressful, and go on for months. It’s vital employees have a community they feel part of and will support them.

8. Run a post-mortem

Workvivo enables you to thank employees, share your learnings from the crisis, and talk openly about what you would do differently next time. Doing so will increase engagement, bolster your reputation, and ensure you’re better prepared next time.

Internal Comms in a Crisis – Cheat Sheet