INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIES FOR THE RECOVERY BY REBECCA DEVINE | MAVEN COMMUNICATIONS
The construction industry has faced unprecedented challenges these past seven months. We faced quarantine, health concerns, project closures, re-openings, remote work, and social unrest. One outcome that has emerged from the chaos is the importance of communicating news to employees quickly and effectively. As companies struggled to find their footing, frequent, reliable, and accurate internal communications was fundamental to keeping workers informed, safe, and motivated. Pre-pandemic, internal communications consisted primarily of corporate newsletters and team meetings. Senior executives were trotted out for big corporate events and meetings but were rarely seen in day-to-day activities. COVID-19 changed all that as employees looked to leadership for answers and stability. Companies that understood this were able to retain trust and shore up productivity. As a result, many construction companies have upgraded antiquated internal systems and created faster, more effective models for communicating information while keeping employees engaged. Many of these strategies have become the new normal and will remain effective well beyond the pandemic. Below are internal communications best practices to employ now and prepare for the recovery.
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Increase Employee Communications. Your employees are your company’s most active and credible “spokespersons” to stakeholders and the community at large. If the business fails to communicate what is going on, employees will fill the void with “worst-case scenarios.” Uncertainty breeds fear, and fear spreads faster than any virus could. One of the lessons we have learned from the pandemic is that we can combat speculation by taking a proactive approach to communicating with employees. This is particularly important on a construction site, where safety is paramount. Luckily, the digital age provides an abundance of tools. Collaboration tools like Slack make it easier for companies to chat and share information in real time, which is critical for remote teams and job sites. Best practice is to post information with as much frequency as possible in multiple locations – via email, on company intranet portals, Facebook, Slack, and so on. Provide updates as often as possible (ideally, daily), even if the update is simply one of support. Don’t forget to outline the rationale behind each decision, so employees understand why certain steps are being taken.
