In Corona Times, Talk to Employees Often and Be Honest
What your company says to workers is as important as how it speaks to customers.
Illustration by Oscar Bolton Green
Covid-19 has given companies a host of external communications challenges, but internal comms may be just as important—and more fraught. What do you tell employees about how the outbreak is affecting your business, your customers, and your suppliers? When should you be talking, and when should you stay quiet?
We asked crisis communications professionals for advice. “There are great lessons to be learned from how your competitors are communicating,” says consultant Edward Segal, author of Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare For and Bounce Back From Disasters, Scandals and Other Emergencies, who has advised more than 500 companies. Here are some of those lessons.