This question should be the foundation for all HR communication. Yes, as consultants we still advise employers to provide a context for the information they’re sharing, use a variety of media to reach all employee groups, and make the content understandable for the average Joe or Jane. But we also know that the most important employee questions to answer are: How does it impact me? How will this affect my family?
For many organizations, a natural response to addressing these fundamental questions is the good ol’ reliable FAQ. And the FAQ does provide a vehicle for addressing employee questions. However, we encourage our clients to include the answers in the majority (if not all) of their HR communication. It might be a paragraph in your announcement letter titled “Why this is important to you” or a repeating graphic in your brochure called “Employee Impact.” Acknowledging the personal impact and offering answers and assistance (when possible) is critical to developing and sustaining your organization’s credibility with employees.
What’s in it for you?
It’s important for HR to acknowledge the possible impact any change may have on employees and their families because you’ll have:
- Fewer angry employees. Okay, anecdotal evidence says that 20% of employees are unhappy, no matter what you do. But that means the other 80% can still be influenced.
- Fewer surprises. Who likes answering those unexpected, “put you on the spot” questions? They come from all levels of the organization–execs and entry level employees.
If you think about the possible employee reactions and have a response prepared, you’re less likely to be caught off-guard. - More credibility. When an organization doesn’t talk honestly about the impact of a change (positive and negative), the majority of employees won’t trust what you tell
them now or in the future. It’s okay and even advisable to find the positives in any change, but ignoring the negatives impacts how employees will view the HR department and the organization.
Need help answering this question for your employees?
Give us a call or drop us an email. We specialize in developing key messages for employee communication!
