Workplace of Choice

Insight’s Economic Survey (conducted in Spring 2009) covered the state of the economy and its effect on small to mid-sized organizations. The results confirmed that organizations are continuing to recalibrate their business strategy during this recession.  The numbers indicate that sales are down (95% of respondents) and employees are worried about how the economic downturn will impact their jobs (70% of respondents). 

What is very promising is that even though the “numbers” are worrisome, the good that’s coming out of all the bad is that employers are using this uncertain time to greatly increase company communications.  A large majority (84% of respondents) are using department meetings and company-wide meetings to keep employees informed.  People just want to know what’s going on; while they may not like the “numbers”, if you keep them informed it shows an environment of honesty, openness and respect.  Does this mean the “company grapevine” has dried up?  Only time will tell, but in the meantime, communicate and connect with your employees. 

What is your company doing during these tough economic times to increase communication? 

Are you wondering how to communicate with your employees about the state of your organization during this economic downturn? Here are some key considerations for determining the right balance of communication:

• Have an honest - but hopeful - conversation about the current state of the business;
• Provide focus for specific contributions so employees feel like they are contributing;
• Involve cross-functional teams in the implementation;
• Have a strong implementation process, including follow-up, status report communication to everyone, as appropriate, and frequent communication;
• Focus on feedback sessions so the company can understand what the employee feelings really are;
• Reassure employees that you are interested in what they think and how they feel - especially the critical employees that you really need to stay on board;
• Engaging employees in idea sharing is important and gives employees a strong direction to follow; and
  
• Unify the management team, who will be conducting most of the day-to-day communcation. Perhaps scripted notes or an "agent of the company" approach can make a big difference in ensuring clear and reasonable communication.

Focusing on your human capital can bring strong teams together to survive these difficult times. Now, more than ever, it is essential to keep employees engaged and informed!