*Andre Franco
With the statement by the World Health Organization (OMS) of the new coronavirus pandemic, many companies had to ‘think outside the box’ and release their employees to the home office. But not all had the structure for that, which caused disorganization among employees and customers, lack of information and even worsening productivity. In addition, another theme that has been hindering the daily lives of employees is the future of the employment contract, whether your salary will be cut or what measures will be taken going forward.
Mental health at that time can be affected by the uncertainties of the future and also by the concern with unpaid bills. This impact manifests itself in different ways in the employee's life, be loving, social, through sleep or even eating. Employees with financial problems or who are in debt produce, on average, 15% less than your colleagues, according to the study “The Employer’s Guide to Financial Wellbeing 2018-19”.
And with all these doubts in this period it is common to ask questions like: “How long will the Home Office last?”, “I will receive VR and VT in the same way?”, “There will be a team meeting?”, among others. Thus, well-done internal communication has become even more essential – so much for leaders to communicate with their team members, as for the human resources sector to communicate employees about their rights and progress in the coming days. In this way, everyone feels more valued and, Consequently, produce more, since research shows that happy employees deliver more results, even more when they are in the home office and don't have a leader controlling.
Use of technology to improve internal communication
In the same way that we need to use technology to carry out jobs normally, remote form, companies can count on the help of internal communication applications to ensure the reach, agility and effectiveness of communication with your employees, extremely important during the crisis. With the help of this platform, it is possible to implement horizontal and participatory communication, keeping the team productive and healthy at this time.
When the company bets on a channel specifically aimed at internal communication, can measure its effectiveness in reaching and absorbing messages – even more in this time of quarantine when there is no 'buzz' in the corridor, giving even more opportunity for fake news to spread faster. After adopting a unique communication platform, other tools that assist the team in the production part, home, can be adopted as a complement.
In addition, this moment can also open a gap for new discussions, such as the possibility of implementing a home office routine in the near future or bringing more flexibility to the company and employees. Often companies do not know how to motivate and keep your talents, so attitudes like clear and aligned communication, employee recognition and appreciation, bring a sense of belonging and, and often, are enough to help your engagement and satisfaction. Therefore, encourage it in your corporate social networks.
*André Franco is CEO of Dialog.us, startup responsible for developing an online tool to improve communication and engagement within companies.
