Internal communications needs to be excellent at all times, but especially when the clock has run out for employees.
Ending someone’s employment is never easy, but with poor internal communications it can turn into a crisis.
Take the case of Yahoo’s poor internal communication of its “in office” policy in 2014.
The head HR at Yahoo sent an internal memo that leaked around the world. The memo said that telecommuting and working from home would no longer be an option for employees. It left employees with the option of quitting or relocating to the Yahoo offices.
The memo that was sent to employees was not only shocking, but it failed to give any rationale of the culture change.
Obviously, this upset employees. They were shocked, confused and angry. Yahoo was left to pick up the pieces of the mess they had created with bad internal communications. This repair took time and required outreach to not only employees, but to the general public who saw the internal memo after it was leaked.
How do public relations professionals steer clear of these crises?
With well thought out and well delivered internal communications.
In Yahoo’s case this would come down to first writing a good memo.
A memo that deals with terminating employment is tricky, but it should include at least three elements:
- Genuine portrayal of care for employees
- Reasoning behind the decision
- Options for the future
The memo can include information beyond that, but if it does not give these options to employees then they will be left disgruntled and shaken.
If Yahoo would have offered the employees the information along with care, reasoning and options they may have received it differently. Dealing with employment is always hard, but conducting internal communications well allows for understanding. With good internal communications, a platform for dialogue is created as well as mutual respect between parties.
It may be inevitable for an organization to change an employee’s standing, but the way it accomplishes the task can be productive or destructive.
Internal communications makes the difference when the time runs out.
