HR's role in crisis management: How to prepare teams for unforeseen situations?

In the age of ubiquitous social media, we are constantly seeing dramatic situations, of celebrities, writers, celebrities or companies. Carelessly spoken or written words directed at observers, customers can cause outrage on the Internet, which reflects on sales results. The situation becomes especially difficult when the person responsible for the crisis is silent, unavailable or out of contact over the weekend.

In this post, we'll discuss the role of HR in a crisis, outline crisis management strategies and give you tips on how to prepare yourcompany for unforeseen situations. You'll learn how to manage a crisis efficiently and minimize the negative effects on your company.

What are the key roles of HR in crisis management at the company?

The HR department plays an important role in ensuring stability and effective response to crisis situations. Crisis management in a company consists of several stages, each of which is very important.

1. Development of crisis plans. A well-known Latin proverb says If you want peace, prepare for war (Si vis pacem, para bellum). At this stage, human resources work with all departments to develop detailed crisis plans that include: procedures, roles and responsibilities of employees. This stage also includes training and crisis simulation drills to make sure all employees are well prepared and know how to respond in crisis situations.
2. Crisiscommunication. Crisis management in a company also means choosing internal communication channels that allow information to be transmitted quickly. Companies often forget that keeping employees informed also belongs to this stage. Employees who are kept informed about the situation and actions taken are able to minimize panic in the banking or education sectors, for example.
3. Psychological support. HR roles in a crisis also include organizing access to psychologists and forms of support for employees who may be affected by the situation.
4. HR management is also organizing replacements to ensure business continuity and introducing flexible work arrangements, such as remote working, to adapt to changing conditions during a crisis, as well as implementing and monitoring occupational health and safety measures during a fire outbreak or epidemic, for example.
5. Analysis and evaluation. Once the crisis is over, HR conducts a detailed analysis of operations, identifies errors and makes improvements. It facilitates the return to normal work by supporting employees, rebuilding teams and implementing recovery plans, e.g. after layoffs.
6. Image management. Crisis management in a company is above all reputation management. Work with the PR and communications department to prepare answers to media inquiries as quickly as possible, and build trust through transparent actions and communication with employees, and customers to maintain confidence in the company.
7. Technologies. These are mainly internal communication systems, e.g. the company intranet, CRM or mobile applications, and even business emails.

What tools are essential for HR crisis management?

Crisis management in a company has become easier thanks to technology. Slack, Microsoft Teams make it possible to quickly communicate information and coordinate activities. Dropbox provides secure document storage. SAP SuccessFactors and SmartManager® help manage employee data and monitor absenteeism, and support the recruitment process. Asana and Trello support task tracking and resource management. SMSapi and AlertMedia enable quick notifications to employees. LifeWorks and ComPsych offer psychological support, and Headspace for Work, Calm for Business help with stress management. Google Analytics analyzes absenteeism and productivity data, Brand24, Google Alerts and Napoleoncat monitor social media. ERP systems manage social media communications. E-learning platforms like Udemy and Heuresis offer online training, V360E enables realistic crisis simulations.

How to prepare employees for unexpected events?

Not only is it important to be properly prepared, but also to practice regularly. Here are the steps to take to make your company's crisis management run smoothly and be effective. Identify potential crises, such as natural disasters, cyber attacks, technical failures, or owner health problems. Create detailed procedures for each threat. Make sure all employees know the crisis plan and their roles. Make the plan available on the intranet. Provide training on crisis procedures and specialized courses, such as first aid, cyber security or stress management. Regularly simulate real-life crisis scenarios, analyze operations, identify errors and make improvements. Regularly test communication systems to ensure they work properly in emergency situations. Provide access to psychological support and assistance programs. Strengthen employees' physical health through programs like Multisport, which will increase their resilience.

What are the best practices in HR crisis communication?

Companies such as Microsoft, Allegro, Google are examples of organizations that effectively implement crisis management in-house, increasing business resilience to any crisis and providing excellent support to their employees. How do they do it?

Allegro, the largest e-commerce platform in Poland, introduced a psychological support program for its employees during the Covid19 pandemic. The company offered access to psychological consultations and held webinars on coping with stress. Why it worked Providing emotional support helps employees better cope with crisis situations, which translates into productivity and engagement.

Microsoft, a global technology giant, uses advanced communication tools, such as Microsoft Teams, to immediately inform employees about crisis situations. During the pandemic crisis, the company regularly published updates and guides on remote work, which helped employees adapt quickly. Why it works Using advanced tools allows information to be shared quickly and efficiently, minimizing response time.

Brainly, an education platform, effectively communicated with its employees during the pandemic crisis through regular email updates and online meetings. With the help of Slack messenger, the company was able to quickly inform employees of new procedures and guidelines. Why is this effective? Regular and quick updates build trust and reduce uncertainty among employees.

What are the most common challenges in crisis management and how do you overcome them?

Lack of crisis plans and failure to prepare employees to deal with crises. Therefore, HR should create detailed action plans for different types of crises, as well as hold regular crisis training and simulations to make sure employees know how to respond properly.

Problems with the rapid transmission of information during a crisis, which can lead to misinformation and chaos. What can cadres do? Start using: Slack, Microsoft Teams, SMSapi, allow for quick information transfer and regularly update employees on the situation and actions taken to minimize rumors.

A crisis can cause stress and anxiety among employees, which negatively affects their mental health and productivity. Introducing psychological support programs and quick access to therapists will help, as will holding workshops on stress management and relaxation techniques.

Problems with managing employee absences and arranging replacements, which can disrupt business continuity. How to overcome them? Introduce online work that allows employees to continue working and, in addition, create contingency plans in case key employees are absent.

Crises can negatively affect a company's image if not managed properly. It will help to prepare an external communications strategy, including responding quickly to media inquiries and publishing official statements, and beforehand using social media and public opinion monitoring tools such as Brand24, Google Alert to respond quickly to negative comments and feedback.

State-of-the-art crisis management systems, dedicated HR software, communication platforms and mass notification systems, and regular drills will ensure reliability in crisis situations. And if you have more questions, feel free to contact us. At Heuresis, we can help prepare "tailor-made" crisis management strategies for your company, in any industry .