The art of listening to your employees

When drastic shifts are made to a workplace’s culture, it can cause confusion, discomfort, and a disconnect between employees and leadership. This is especially true in a crisis when changes come swiftly and out of the blue.

It isn’t easy for HR leaders to stay in tune with the needs of employees when a large part of their lives – be it at work or outside of it – has been upended. But in the face of rapid change, HR leaders must provide an added layer of support to their people.

To do this, organizations should prioritize their efforts to listen. In this article, we’ll cover how to create a plan for gathering information, communicating with employees, and supporting your teams, all through multiple touchpoints.

HR leaders as active liaisons

During times of crisis, HR leaders should adopt an active role in facilitating communication.

Create dedicated channels for communication 

It’s vital to understand that even when most employees are puzzled and insecure about change, some still may not feel comfortable speaking up. To give employees the information they need, leadership can set up a specific online portal with resources and a dedicated channel for comms in whichever chat platform the company uses. These channels create a centralized hub for information and help your team streamline and minimize internal communication efforts. 

Conduct pulse surveys

To understand the evolving needs of your employees, you need to interface with them more often. A simple way to get a read on employee sentiment is by adopting a continuous listening strategy and holding pulse surveys to dive deep into topics of concern each week. This helps identify employee concerns and builds a database of feedback to evaluate the evolution of your employees’ voices over time. 

Gauge and respond

Using feedback from employee surveys, HR leaders can send out regular communications to cover topics affecting a large part of the workforce. A productive way to start is by sharing information about the most common concerns. Don't shy away if your employees are bringing up uncomfortable topics such as job security or the company’s growth and financials. Transparency builds employee trust and mitigates unfounded concerns.

Hold online workshops 

Emotional and economic concerns could take a toll on your employees. Contracting a counselor could help employees navigate uncertain times if your budget allows. If that’s hard to accomplish, consider organizing virtual workshops with experts such as health coaches or financial advisors to address these concerns.

Connect via virtual meet-ups

Connecting employees for virtual meet-ups allows them to bond, vent, or share experiences. Participants can exchange resources that help them cope, such as a podcast they follow or an article they read online. However, consider making such activities optional to respect everyone’s off-time. 

Managers as compassionate mentors

HR should also empower managers to support their direct reports. Encourage and enable managers at your company to:

Conduct regular team check-ins

Team leads should establish a consistent schedule for virtual team chats to ensure everyone has the resources needed to accomplish targets. The discussion could focus on personal fulfillment, challenges faced, and suggestions to make working from home easier for everyone. 

Host one-on-one meetings

While connecting with individual employees one-on-one is time-consuming, it’s also crucial when situations are complicated and stressful. Individuals feel more comfortable sharing issues when speaking in an intimate setting, enabling team leads to provide more tailored support.

Lead by example

Try to build trust and understanding to adapt to unique circumstances. Teammates tend to open up to a leader who comes from an empathetic place. When possible, talk about things that make you relatable – the more human you are, the stronger the trust can be between you and your employees.

Ask teammates to volunteer their support 

While some people may struggle with time management, others have mastered the art. Encourage those who have found their footing to help their teammates. Something as simple as sending a note of appreciation or offering to help with backlogged tasks can go a long way.

Listen and lead with empathy

Employee experience can be viewed as a defining point. Not only does it decide how a company is perceived, but it also paves the path to ultimate success. Happier and more satisfied employees lead to enhanced productivity and innovation. Now is the time to make your people feel heard and cared for. A company that supports its workforce during hardships will surely garner unparalleled loyalty and respect, virtues that can set your organization apart.