COVID-19: It's Time to Act

The most important thing during a pandemic like COVID-19 is to communicate with internal and external stakeholders. Ensure calm by reinforcing the facts and letting employees know you are prepared. Be transparent and communicate clearly and frequently.

Working from home will not be optional during a pandemic, and HR needs to be able to support hundreds or thousands of remote workers. Equip managers and employees with information and guidance to set them up for success and address key implementation issues and cultural barriers.

A significant unknown is the potential impact on revenue generation. Cost-cutting measures may require scenario planning to identify and evaluate workforce supply and demand projections. Depending on the length and depth of the impact, HR may need to establish offboarding processes and termination logistics.

Change may be complex but change management doesn't have to be. Simplify complex changes associated with your pandemic and business continuity plans by breaking them down into manageable milestones.

In times of uncertainty, managers play a more important role than ever in employee engagement. Sharing the rationale of decisions made, especially senior leader decisions, will be key. Guide managers to leverage McLean & Company's 3i model: Inform, Interact, Involve, to maintain and improve engagement.