Keeping employees engaged is always a challenge for HR. Doing that during an unexpected crisis is even harder. Over the past six months in the U.S., there have been hurricanes, a terrorist attack in New Orleans and now fires in the LA area. If you have employees overseas, there are challenges in many parts of the world, including areas where wars are going on. There is no doubt that organizations will continue to be confronted with having to respond to crises, keep the business moving forward, and make sure that employees are able to do their jobs.
Your company may already have a disaster recovery plan. If yours doesn’t or you are not familiar with what is in that plan, now is a good time to review it. If your company doesn’t have one, talk to leadership about the need for one.
One of the most critical parts of a disaster recovery plan is to make sure that employees executing on that plan have the support they need. A way to ensure that is setting up a schedule to review the resources available, either bi-annually or annually. Remember to include those tasked with carrying out that plan in that review process.
If you have multiple locations, the plan should consider which locations are more vulnerable. Not every location is in a place more prone to wildfires or hurricanes. Not every location may need the same plan or resources. There should also be consideration around how key employees can get to a location in a crisis or at the very least can stay connected with teams at each location in crisis.
If key employees lose their homes, what support can your company provide in terms of finding housing, navigating insurance claims, and mental health support? Often, we will see a disaster in the news, but a month later, no one is talking about it. However, those impacted may struggle to recover for months or even years. Providing some support to make recovery easier can help keep them engaged on the job as they recover in their personal life.
It's also important to recognize the overall impact on the community. Even if an employee hasn’t been directly impacted, often there is an emotional toll when your neighborhood has seen major loss. Having a pre-planned campaign for a crisis situation to point employees and their families to your EAP can make a difference. You can also speak to your EAP about their expertise in addressing a major crisis, what they provide, any costs, and if they have the capacity to help multiple employer clients at the same time. You also want to know the level of experience of the person they may have engaged with your organization.
Communication for this type of initiative can be very helpful in building trust in your organization. Sharing an overview of the disaster recovery plan on an annual basis shows a commitment by the company to your workforce. Allowing them to ask questions and understand how a crisis mitigating/disaster recovery plan protects them as an individual and their team can create a working environment where crises can be more effectively addressed.
It can also be helpful to do an analysis of parts of the organization that are most vulnerable. That could be a particular function in the organization, a specific team, or it could be a geographic location. Understanding where the weak points are in advance and adjusting the crisis plan can save time and money.
As HR leaders, you know that your people are the key to making your business successful. Without considering the human aspect of managing a crisis, it can put your team at risk. If you do not have the expertise in your organization to do a thorough analysis or develop an actionable plan, you may want to bring in someone who does. No business wants to go through a crisis, but many will. Having a plan, sharing it, and doing regular reviews can better protect your people and your company.