6 Tips for Communicating with Employees During Times of Uncertainty

Working remotely is no longer a perk or flexible option. Due to the coronavirus, it has become the norm for employees in almost every industry. Many employees today are juggling work, along with taking care of children, who are home due to closed schools or childcare services. It is unchartered territory that has left many employees feeling unsettled.

During times of uncertainty, employees need regular communication from employers to give their world some normalcy. Take advantage of this period of change to help employees enhance their knowledge and skills, and update them about business growth and opportunities. Here’s how you can better communicate with employees using online training software.

1. Update employees about the business status – Employees are concerned about the future of their jobs and the world around them. They need reassurance and encouragement. Create fun and interesting modules to educate employees about the status of the company, industry, projects, and clients. Tell them about new endeavors to help out the community and other employees during the pandemic, and ways they can participate. Teach employees about customer updates, market changes, and new initiatives to prepare for future growth. Read this blog for tips on making great training modules.

Uncertain times can also cause employees to feel stressed and on edge. Create modules to tell them about ways stress can affect them (lack of focus, irritability, poor performance). Provide mental health tips to help them deal with change. If an Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) benefit is available to employees, remind them about how it works. Encourage workers to contact the EAP to talk with a trained counselor about concerns and problems.

3. Teach employees communication tips – Your workers are the main face of the business. Develop modules to teach employees how to better communicate with other team members, management, and customers. Offer ideas and examples on how to write clear emails, letters, and thank you notes to customers. Provide tips on how to communicate with team members on remote projects.

Teach employees how to create PowerPoint presentations to communicate effectively with customers. And while you are at it, make modules to help employees learn to develop webinars that capture attention and sell products and ideas to current and prospective customers. Even if some workers are not responsible for creating these types of presentations, giving them this knowledge helps them be better communicators for your company. As a bonus, employees will know how to help other team members who make these presentations.

4. Tell stories to educate employees on the business – People love stories. Take this time to develop modules that tell employees stories about the history of the company, including challenging experiences and market changes.

Provide skills to help employees be good storytellers. Every employee is a salesperson for your business. They can use their storytelling skills to communicate information about your company and connect customers to your products and services. These stories can create experiences that customers will remember.

5. Prepare employees for change – When economic challenges occur, businesses have to adjust. This can result in temporary or permanent changes in company operations. Sometimes this requires shifts in product sales, markets, and customers. Use online training software to prepare employees for anticipated changes. Provide the knowledge and skills they will need to be successful.

6. Keep furloughed employees connected – During times of economic uncertainty, business often have to make adjustments to deal with change. You may have had to furlough some employees. Use online training software to develop a module (or two) to keep these employees connected to your business so they are ready to rejoin your company (if and/when their job resumes).