Internal comms: doing right by the staff

The sudden failure of Woolworths, the never-changing stalwart of the high street, brings up some important communication issues. Job cuts are occurring across the country at a worrying rate and all too frequently it’s the press that knows before the staff, causing a lot of undue angst and anger.

.In existence-threatening cases, a la Woolworths, it’s understandable the word doesn’t emerge via the right channels. Management are trying to ensure the future of the business and prevent it going under – that last thing they are going to be thinking about is communication. But, even in extreme cases, internal communication should be a top priority.

While some might forgive a company on its knees for being a little taciturn, the sad thing is that most of the current job losses are happening at viable companies. Downsizing for the downturn, a necessary business evil, is creating comms issues aplenty – disgruntled employees, nervous investors and an angry press.

Then why is it that there are so many anecdotes of people being kept in the dark by their employers. Stories abound of people getting to work only to be shepherded into meeting rooms to be told their jobs are on the line. Companies continue to get it so very wrong.

This is the harsh end of capitalism where money is seemingly the only thing that matters. But it doesn’t have to be and shouldn’t be like this. Good internal communications in times of trouble are not just vital to a company’s reputation but are owed to the hard-working staff that put that company where it is.

It’s a very human trait to hold-off on telling people about something but in the case of business there is simply too much at stake. Perhaps managers simply think the problem will disappear in the end – unfortunately it never does. The irony is that by being up front with staff and other stakeholders the outcome can be so much better:

• Staff will respect the honesty
  • Will have time to look for alternative employment
  • Will have little desire to ‘get back’ at a company through whatever means
• Investors will also be able to make informed decisions about their stocks and are much more likely to stick with an ‘up front’ company

So, to the business leaders of the world who have found themselves on shaky ground, please think about the staff…it’s definitely worth your while.