In the early days of the Trump administration, the political scene in the US has never been more in the news. With the potential for sweeping changes in international trade agreements and regulations that effect business and finance, companies in many sectors will be affected. The ramifications will also be quite different for those companies based in the US and those based elsewhere.
Of course, right now there is more a buzz of uncertainty rather than actual concrete changes. So the question is, how do you keep employees focused and engaged during turbulent times? While it is hard to predict how things will eventually roll out, there are concrete actions you can take right now to help calm the waters for your employees. Just follow these five straightforward steps.
- Get out of your office
The first step is to take steps, literally. Get out of your office walk around chat with employees, connecting on a one-on-one basis, informally. Where you can, limit closed door meetings. Informal meetings or conversations are a great way to signal to staff everything is right in the world.
- Check in
Don’t make any assumptions on how your employees are feeling. Ask them how they are doing. It is a great opportunity to allay fears or head off doubts that can plague employees, create a lack of focus and drag down morale.
- Communicate – often!
Do you host quarterly company updates on how your company is doing? If you don’t, now would be a good time to start them. It’s a good opportunity to share quarterly results, but also to celebrate the accomplishments of employees. More informal weekly departmental meetings are also a great time to offer props and let people share news or air their concerns.
- Brand Ambassadors –
Engage your brand ambassadors, both internally and outside the company. Work with the team and ask them how employees are feeling – seek their feedback on what the company can be doing to make employees feel comfortable, focused and engaged. If you don’t have a Brand Ambassador program, now would be a good time to start one.(link to previous blog on Brand Ambassador program)
- Live your Values and EVP
Go back and re-read your Employer Value Proposition, immerse yourself in your company values. Don’t lose sight of these regardless of what is going on within your company – or the external forces that are beyond your control, good, uncertain or bad – Your company values and EVP will guide you in making the right decisions and rallying your employees as you focus on your overall vision.
No matter what is happening out there, what made you a good employer in the first place should remain a constant. Following these five steps will remind your employees of these key attributes, and why they chose to with your organization in the first place.
About Blu Ivy Group
Blu Ivy Group is a leading employer branding and employee engagement consultancy that aligns your organization with contemporary workplace paradigms. Blu Ivy Group’s mission is to help client’s build award-winning people practices, inspire extraordinary employee engagement, and cultivate unique and desirable workplaces.
We provide integrated solutions in employer brand and engagement research, strategic consulting, employer brand integration, creative and talent communications. Blu Ivy Group is a trusted partner to many of North America’s most respected employer brands. For more information, go to www.bluivygroup.com