Article | Leadership

Crisis Management for HR Professionals

Guiding Your Team through Change

Crisis Management: Guiding Your Team through Change.

Covid-19 has created uncertainty in every business sector, causing concerns for both employers, as well as their employees. For business-owners and managers, these challenges can be extremely testing when it comes to exercising leadership, especially as businesses make changes to adapt to the challenges created by the pandemic.

Many businesses, for instance, will be putting in strategies for flexible working. Communicating and implementing these changes with employees needs to be done sensitively and effectively. Others will be looking at how to identify and handle health issues, especially when it comes to the mental wellness of workers. Managers themselves will be looking for support when focussing on the best ways to deal with crisis management at this difficult time.

All this highlights the importance of having a HR specialist, such as Eximium on your side - one that sees the bigger picture when it comes to your talent marketplace and can guide you on the best ways to optimise your workforce to succeed in a crisis.

The power of leadership

It’s during times of crisis that real leaders come to the fore and make their presence felt. These are the ones that, instead of focussing on self-preservation, step forward and look for solutions, empowering their people along the way. Change and uncertainty creates gossip and confusion, making it difficult for employees to trust workplace culture and leadership. Preventing this means engaging with employees, acknowledging that uncertainty exists and working as a team to work through the challenges together.

Leading a team requires mutual trust and respect. The best managers are able to put themselves into the shoes of workers and act with compassion, empathy and positivity. That means listening to concerns, evaluating mind-sets and morale, being transparent and communicative, and above all, acting confidently and decisively. By doing so, along the way, good managers become an inspiration for those they lead.

Plan ahead

Preparation is a vital part of any organisational transformation. Make a full assessment of organisational needs and balance it with employee concerns. Identify where conflicts might occur during the change process. Then you can create a contingency plan to mitigate setbacks.

When job roles are impacted within an organisation, you can expect ‘people issues’. The concerns of one person or a group of workers can create uncertainty that ripples through the organisation affecting morale and performance. It’s not always possible to deal with these on an individual basis, so decision makers need to sit down and develop a formal approach, which can then be integrated into the strategy for change. Here, a consultation with Eximium, followed by a HR and talent audit, can ensure you get the best road map for your needs.

Effective communication: the key to successful crisis management

It’s inevitable that many organisations will see restructuring as a result of Covid-19, with the potential for employees being moved into new roles or even leaving the firm. Managing all of this successfully means clear, honest and effective communication.

Fortunately, there is plenty that can be done to address all improve communication, even in these times of social distancing. Managers should where possible, use video-conferencing tools, instead of just emails or phone calls to maintain that human connection while social distancing. If workers are deployed from home, it can be better to over-communication than under-communicate in order to check in on staff wellbeing, as well as pre-empt business-related issues before they occur.

Be flexible

Just about every organisations has introduced flexible working in order to minimise disruption to their businesses. Being flexible in terms of working from home is one thing, but managers should look at other ways of being flexible in order to accommodate changes in the personal circumstances of employees too. The goal is to improve employee wellbeing and satisfaction, along with staff retention and engagement.

Even without a crisis, change is inevitable. It’s in everyone’s interest to embrace it. As a manager, it’s your job to make that happen by listening to the concerns of your people, communicating effectively, focussing on the positive, and securing trust.

For more help on how you can do that, contact Eximium on +44 20 36 33 34 37 or email info@eximium.io

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