Essentially every business in the country – if not the world – has been impacted by the global pandemic, COVID-19. While many companies have closed their doors, a great number of construction projects and workers have been deemed “essential.”
You are likely having to deal with things like staffing and shift changes, adjustments to the protocol to be in accordance with CDC guidelines, and concerned employees with a lot of questions. On top of it all, the future is still really uncertain – you will not know all of the answers, and even if you do, they are likely to change. Regardless of how your day-to-day has been affected by the coronavirus, your internal communication is most certainly being put to the test.
The goal is to effectively communicate with your staff so that you are compliant with federal regulations while keeping employees informed so that they can be efficient and safe on the job. The months ahead are going to be undoubtedly difficult; the following recommendations will help.
Be clear and accurate
When it comes to matters of public health and safety, there is no room for error. Make sure that you have your information correct before sharing it with your staff. You also need to take the necessary steps to ensure that your team knows exactly what is required of them. There are some things that you will not know or which will change in time, for these reasons it is important that you communicate often and clearly.
Establish a central communication hub
There is going to be a lot of information that comes very quickly. To make sure that your staff is looking at the most recent staffing guidelines or has heard about the latest project update, you should have a dedicated area where they know to go. This could be a page on your company website or a social media account. Regardless, it should be easily accessible and preferably push out new updates as they become available.
Provide an outlet for questions and concerns
This is going to be an extremely difficult time for many. Employees are likely going to have concerns for their health and wellbeing, some many need to take extra precautions due to underlying conditions. Communication can help alleviate some of their concerns. Face-to-face meetings might be difficult to do, but try to have virtual meetings or post video updates, if possible. The personal touch will go a long way. To help you effectively field the high volume of questions that you are likely to get, it is important that you establish protocol so that employees know who they can direct their questions toward.
The way that we do business will be forever changed by the coronavirus. In order to make the transition as smooth as possible, it will be important that you communicate effectively with your staff. The bottom line: Communicate clearly and often.
Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash
