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HR BASICS
How to Communicate with
Employees When You Don’t Know
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Jennifer Benz on Jul 7, 2010, 8:05 AM | 0 Comments
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Too many companies delay communicating with employees until
they have “all” the answers or have decided every last detail of a
big change. This is the wrong approach for many reasons.
In addition to getting the rumor mill started (especially when
someone is tipped off that the CEO and CFO have been in
back-to-back meetings all week), it excludes your employees
and doesn’t treat them like the smart, educated, and rational
adults they are. They know something is up — and it is in the
best interest of the company to make them feel like their concerns are being accounted for and
listened to, even as decisions are being made.
It is simple to put together an executive communication that addresses employees’ concerns while
setting expectations about what may or may not come next. Follow this format:
Introduce letter/email/podcast and set context (what’s going on, why you’re getting this
info, “we know you’re concerned about X, Y and Z…)
This is what we do know. Explain key issue (for example, “The economy is forcing us to
make significant changes to the business.
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As a result, this is what’s changing:
Bullet or paragraph list of changes or program impacts
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Be specific;
Explain when/how employees will receive more details.
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Michael
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Jonathan
Mike
Robin
This is what we don’t know/what may happen (for example, “We don’t yet know how this
will impact bonus payouts or salary increases.”).
Bullet or paragraph list of what is TBD — to be decided;
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Be clear about when you’ll know more/make decisions;
Where to go with questions (to managers, online, etc.)
Thank employees for dedication and patience.
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For even better results, send this out to managers a couple days in advance and give them talking
points and a Q&A to have in-person conversations with employees. Give them, and individual
employees, a way to report back and ask questions.
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Directly address employee concerns and be clear and honest about what’s happening. This
approach will always be more successful than silence.
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Jennifer Benz is Chief Strategist and Founder of Benz Communications, a San Francisco-based
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How to Communicate with Employees When You Don’t Know...
http://www.tlnt.com/2010/07/07/how-to-communicate-with-em...
consultancy that focuses on custom, comprehensive benefits and HR communications services. Jen
is an active member of the Council for Communication Management, the International Association of
Business Communicators, the Northern California Human Resources Association and Women in
Consulting. Contact her at jen@benzcommunications.com.
Tags: Communications, Company culture, Engagement, HR basics, HR
management
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Lance! Such a good post! It's so
“ Hi
refreshing to see the kind of
Reactions
customer service this gentleman
showed without . . .
Dramanique 7 months ago
From Twitter via BackType
RT @DrewCarls: When a company situation is unclear, communicate with employees even without all information
http://ow.ly/287l7
DrewCarls 7 months ago
From Twitter via BackType
”
— ZuzuHire on Lessons From a
Courteous Garbage Man: Anyone Can
be a Great Employee, 3 hours ago
been on both sides of the table,
“ i've
and there is definitely a way to do
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”
— Fran on A Sign of Our Times: The
Business of Layoffs – George Clooney
Style, 9 hours ago
about another scenario - poor
“ How
family whose Mom made sure they
got to the library once a week
When a company situation is unclear, communicate with employees even without all information http://ow.ly/287l7
jenbenz 7 months ago
From Twitter via BackType
Thx to @TLNT_com for picking up another of our posts--How to Communicate with Employees When You Don’t
Know Everything http://ow.ly/28kc8
michaelwolfe 7 months ago
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“ Iself-destructive!
It's just simply such
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