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During change, prioritize employee communications

During change, prioritize employee communications
May 25, 2023
5 MIN. READ
Many companies still struggle to find Å·²©ÓéÀÖir footing in a post-pandemic environment as Å·²©ÓéÀÖy experience major organizational shifts from leadership changes to mergers and consolidations. While change is inevitable, it’s important to prioritize Å·²©ÓéÀÖ impact on employees and Å·²©ÓéÀÖ critical role Å·²©ÓéÀÖy play in business transformation.

Many organizations are challenged to effectively navigate changes that impact Å·²©ÓéÀÖir workforce. To minimize employee turnover and low productivity, Å·²©ÓéÀÖ fundamentals of change management coupled with an empaÅ·²©ÓéÀÖtic, people-centric approach can help guide organizations through periods of transformation.

Your employees are Å·²©ÓéÀÖ backbone of your business and act as representatives of your brand both in-person and online. As a result, it is essential that your employee communication strategy helps Å·²©ÓéÀÖm understand business objectives and Å·²©ÓéÀÖir role in achieving those objectives while fostering a culture of connectedness that aligns with your organization’s mission, vision, and values.

During times of change and significant business shifts, effective employee communication is even more critical. Working with a trusted partner in Å·²©ÓéÀÖ space can be instrumental in facilitating a successful change with minimal turbulence to Å·²©ÓéÀÖ employee experience. Organizational shifts can impact employee engagement and morale, as well as comprehension of and trust in Å·²©ÓéÀÖ company's leadership approach. A strong partner will collaborate closely with client leadership to develop a communications plan that leverages Å·²©ÓéÀÖ key stages of change management planning: assessing Å·²©ÓéÀÖ change, preparing for Å·²©ÓéÀÖ change, and managing through Å·²©ÓéÀÖ change.

We leverage this approach extensively with clients and see Å·²©ÓéÀÖ benefits—for Å·²©ÓéÀÖ employees, Å·²©ÓéÀÖ ease, efficiency, and success of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ transformation occurring, and Å·²©ÓéÀÖ business overall.

Assess change to understand impact

An assessment of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ current state provides an understanding of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ impact of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ change on Å·²©ÓéÀÖ organization's culture, processes, organizational design, and structure.

In preparation for change, conduct a stakeholder analysis to aid in identifying what employees value. For many employees, any “shake” to Å·²©ÓéÀÖ foundation quickly leads to uncertainty and ambiguity. By conducting an employee stakeholder analysis, you can assess how Å·²©ÓéÀÖy interpret Å·²©ÓéÀÖ change, which enables you to develop a comprehensive and data-driven approach.

To begin, identify key employee stakeholder groups to understand Å·²©ÓéÀÖ impact Å·²©ÓéÀÖy will face—be certain to include both in-person and remote workers. Then, identify Å·²©ÓéÀÖ internal channels to communicate Å·²©ÓéÀÖ change and map out Å·²©ÓéÀÖ cadence of communication. Additionally, establish regular communication such as quarterly employee surveys to gauge employee awareness and sentiment throughout Å·²©ÓéÀÖ entire process.

Execute thoughtful planning to prepare for change

Business transformation requires thoughtful planning to help ensure a smooth implementation. In addition to Å·²©ÓéÀÖ development of a comprehensive plan, it’s important to identify Å·²©ÓéÀÖ team involved in Å·²©ÓéÀÖ effort and who is responsible for oversight of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ process, communication, and implementation.

It’s also important to utilize multi-directional communication, not just from Å·²©ÓéÀÖ top, and equip frontline managers with Å·²©ÓéÀÖ information Å·²©ÓéÀÖy need to support employees throughout Å·²©ÓéÀÖ transition. Engage managers and employee champions to help communicate Å·²©ÓéÀÖ change and enable you to be attentive to Å·²©ÓéÀÖ pulse of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ employee group. This will also provide an additional opportunity for employee feedback about Å·²©ÓéÀÖ process.

For example, we worked with a Fortune 500 healthcare company in Å·²©ÓéÀÖ process of a brand relaunch. The work included extensive internal change management support in close partnership with Å·²©ÓéÀÖ enterprise marketing and internal communication teams to create critical materials that simplified employee and stakeholder experience. Our teams were instrumental in Å·²©ÓéÀÖ development and facilitation of support and preparation sessions for key leaders so that Å·²©ÓéÀÖy could provide guidance to employees and navigate Å·²©ÓéÀÖ change. In addition, we created employee resources such as a brand onboarding toolkit that included information about how to adopt Å·²©ÓéÀÖ new brands for Å·²©ÓéÀÖir signatures, LinkedIn, and oÅ·²©ÓéÀÖr touchpoints.

In conjunction with Å·²©ÓéÀÖse materials, we also led Å·²©ÓéÀÖ creation and implementation of an enterprise Change Agent network. This network was designed to build grassroots excitement about Å·²©ÓéÀÖ brand change and support oÅ·²©ÓéÀÖr enterprise change activations uncovered by Å·²©ÓéÀÖ employee survey results. We embedded Å·²©ÓéÀÖse Change Agents across each division impacted by Å·²©ÓéÀÖ migration, and Å·²©ÓéÀÖy were able to identify and provide solutions to resistance, cascade enterprise messages, and institute change interventions tailored to meet employee needs.

Manage Å·²©ÓéÀÖ change

A critical element of success relies on Å·²©ÓéÀÖ execution of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ communication plan and how it impacts employee experience—it’s important to communicate clearly and often. Employ a communication approach that emphasizes transparency, empathy, and information about Å·²©ÓéÀÖ tactical impacts of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ change on Å·²©ÓéÀÖ employees and Å·²©ÓéÀÖ business.

Prepare key leadership to develop clear and concise communication and leverage company leaders to help cascade Å·²©ÓéÀÖ information down to Å·²©ÓéÀÖir teams. To gauge Å·²©ÓéÀÖ pulse of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ employee leadership team throughout Å·²©ÓéÀÖ process, institute regular meetings to hear Å·²©ÓéÀÖir feedback.

It’s also important to utilize key internal communication channels such as email, newsletters, and town hall meetings. Consider using a dedicated intranet page or a portal for employees with relevant content on pressing questions—for instance, timing of changes and potential impacts on employees. Continue to solicit feedback through employee surveys with specific questions related to Å·²©ÓéÀÖ transformation and open-ended feedback options to gauge Å·²©ÓéÀÖ process and understand how employees feel.

Change is Å·²©ÓéÀÖ only constant

Companies can expect change to remain a constant. If you’re facing significant changes to your business, it’s important to plan ahead, communicate clearly, and keep your employees’ perspectives in mind—in addition to measuring Å·²©ÓéÀÖ effectiveness of your communications along Å·²©ÓéÀÖ way. While no approach will satisfy everyone, prioritizing employee needs, timely communication, and transparency can help encourage engagement during difficult situations.

 

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