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CEO Action Plan - Streamline Your Workforce During COVID -19 Pandemic
Times of crisis put leadership to the test. The window for initial action is small – be planful rather than giving in to knee-jerk reactions. COVID-19 with Ease “Employees are an organization’s greatest asset. When faced with cost-cutting pressures, look for redeployment opportunities that use talent as a resource to get through hard times before resorting to difficult layoff decisions. ” Your Organization Situation COVID-19 is showing the true impacts that our volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world can have. The world has been forced to respond, with a pandemic triggering record-breaking market volatility, causing organizations to face very hard decisions. Not knowing what a new day will bring means talent decisions are more difficult than ever. Your Organization Complications Reduced infection rates in compromised areas is providing hope that these difficult times will pass. However, organizations are facing harsh realities in real time. With significant reductions in revenue, employers are facing pressure to quickly implement cost-cutting strategies, resulting in mass layoffs of valuable employees. CXO Solution
Make the most of your workforce in this unprecedented situation by following CXO UG’s process to initiate redeployment efforts and reduce costs. If all else fails, follow our guidance on planning for layoffs and considerations when doing so. CXO UG Recommendations “CIOs should prepare IT systems now to safely and reliably handle a vast increase in remote workers and digital fulfillment of market demand." "Pandemic Preparedness Requires Strong Business Continuity Management" Pandemic Preparedness Strategy Point 1 - Meet with Leadership Set strategy with senior leadership
Review pandemic impact on organization
Determine the balance between risk and organizational viability
Review cost-cutting measures including redeployment and layoffs Brainstorm underused and understaffed employee segments and
departments Create a list of employee segments that are underused and have a labor surplus
Create a list of employee segments that need additional talent resources Determine approach to redeployments and layoffs Create a redeployment process for departmental/functional leaders to
follow Create a timeline for redeployment and layoff actions to be taken Communicate to departmental/functional leaders Pandemic Preparedness Strategy Point 2 - Plan Individual and Department
Redeployment Collect key information Identify employees that need to be redeployed Assess transferrable skills Prepare and redeploy Create a high-level action plan Prepare communication on the initiative Provide training to redeployed employees Support employees through the transition Roll up information across the organization Communicate all redeployment decisions and actions to executive
leadership Pandemic Preparedness Strategy Point 3 - Plan Individual and Department
Layoffs Plan for Layoff Review layoff decision and the roles selected Evaluate layoff costs Plan layoff logistics Execute on the Layoff Plan Review all administrative requirements Review all obligations under employment regulations Determine all support available to employees Communication Plan Plan for all levels of communication with affected employees Pandemic Preparedness Strategy Point 4 - Monitor and Manage
Departmental Effectiveness Monitor departmental performance Review key metrics by department Determine impacts of redeployments and layoffs Review organizational performance Review key organizational metrics Revisit placement on Risk & Viability Matrix Revisit threshold for layoffs Identify areas for potential redeployments Determine next steps Decide how to respond to the evolving situation The novel coronavirus pandemic, or COVID-19 , is predicted to have an impact on the global economy. Where the global real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 2.9 percent in 2019, it is forecasted that COVID-19 will cause the global real GDP growth to decrease by 0.5 percent in 2020 compared to the previous year, to 2.4 percent growth. In the best case scenario in 2020, which is defined as a two month duration of travel bans and a sharp decline in domestic demand, the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to decrease by 0.09 percent due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. In a worse case scenario, defined as a six month duration of travel bans, the global GDP is predicted to decrease by 0.4 percent. Final Thoughts COVID-19 is a catastrophe that keeps on disturbing a huge number of lives. Great leadership is essential and there is maybe one silver coating, which is that this emergency speaks to an open door for pioneers to make more team cohesion and advancement despite difficulty
COVID-19 Crisis Communication Guide
Review crisis communication best practices Deliver messages that convey calm and are transparent and tailored to your audience . CXO UG has surveyed hundreds of companies about their experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. Discover how the people who help you deliver value — arguably your most critical asset — are experiencing this state of potential anxiety. “ Pay special attention to the 3i’s; this is the most critical principle as it promotes a channel for two-way feedback and allows employees to feel heard in a time of crisis. Inform, Interact & Involve: Conduct check-ins beyond initial communications to ensure key messages are being understood and identify areas for improvement. Follow CXO’s 3i’s of engaging leadership to ensure effective two-way communication. ” Commitment to health and safety: Your organization is nothing without your employees. Highlight your commitment to your employees’ physical, mental, financial, and social well-being. Business continuity plan: Offer clear and straightforward information. Share a summary of your BCP, including key actions and oversight. Be sure to include some of the other best practices listed below. Transparency: Given the evolving nature of the COVID-19 situation it is best to be transparent in communications about what is known that could affect employees. Audiences: COVID-19’s impact will differ based on a variety of factors and this means there is a need for different communications. Segment messages and approaches by employee type and/or geography and work environment. Channel/Medium: Differing audiences will be receptive to different channels, mediums, and language. Ensure communication methods align with the message being communicated and who it is being communicated to. Authentic: Write messages in a way that embodies the personality of the deliverer and shows the human aspect of the message. Don’t spin information; position it with empathy within the wider organizational context. Timely: With the situation evolving hourly and daily, manage expectations of when new updates can be expected and stick to them, for example, set expectations that a COVID-19 update can be expected at the beginning of each day Clear ownership: With key actions and resources changing daily, make sure to clarify ownership of BCP actions in the communication to avoid a bottleneck of questions for one person or department. Resources: Provide employees with key resources (such as EAPs) all in one location (such as an intranet) to make it easier for both employees and resource providers. CXO UG has created the Leadership Crisis Communications Guide Template is to provide communicators (i.e. anyone writing or sharing communications) across the organization with guidance on how to communicate effectively. It is meant to be customized by the communicator and should be used in conjunction with CXO's Crisis Communication Guide for Leadership. Contact us by contact@cxo.net
Crisis Communication Guide for HR
Communications will need to differ for different audiences, depending on how they are impacted by the crisis. Segment internal audiences to deliver crisis communications unique to the differing needs of employees CXO UG recommends segmenting into three to five internal audiences to start , typically by level of management: employees, managers, and senior leaders. Alternatively, segment by geography, department, or work environment, or some combination of the three Geography Employees from different locations may share similar business objectives depending on the department they are in, but the extent of the crisis may vary by location in severity, and therefore, need different communications. Department Different departments may have a similar culture, but different business continuity plans in the face of the crisis. Segment communication to ensure departments get the right information. This approach is best used in organizations where departments have distinct functions. Work Environment Work environment may affect several things: the communication channels audiences have access to, the amount of time available to consume information, or the ability to direct contact the audience. Depending on the severity of the crisis, work environments may change without notice. Ensure your communication matches the channels and mediums employees have access to. Draft a plan Establish and share consistent protocols that leadership and employees can rely on for information involving business continuity. Example of protocols: All messages concerning business closures will come from senior leadership. Any messages concerning working from home will come from your team lead. Direct all questions concerning time off and resources to HR. Make sure to include a mechanism for two-way feedback in your protocols to ensure any questions that may be helpful for everyone are being shared upwardly. Assign accountability Determine who will oversee delivering messages at the organizational level, department level, and team level. Customize communications to reflect the deliverer’s personality to maintain authenticity. Determine who will review the messages before they are delivered to ensure consistency of extremely sensitive released messages. Involve the experts: To ensure the accuracy, have the legal or the communications department approve the message before delivery. Set timelines While crisis situations operate in uncertainty, it’s important to be as transparent and as consistent as possible when delivering communications . Set timelines for leadership for when they are expected to communicate key messages and for employees for when they can expect communications. Iterate The nature of a crisis is ever-evolving – leave room to iterate your communication plan and re-assign roles as the situation unfolds. Key stakeholders or actions are subject to change daily or even hourly; be aware that iteration is a key part to any crisis communication plan. When defining key messages be sure to reference your organizational communication principles; transparency, authenticity, and timeliness are of great importance when the nature of the message is sensitive. What are key messages? Key messages guide all internal communications to ensure they are consistent, unified, and straightforward. Distill key messages down from the business continuity plan and use them to reinforce the organization’s strategic direction. Key messages should: Inspire employees to act in a way that will help the organization achieve its business continuity plan. Reassure employees during this uncertain time with clear, straightforward information. Encourage two-way communication while providing guidance on resources employees can visit to avoid bottlenecks on certain people or departments. How to establish key messages Key messages in a time of crisis should be clear, concise, and informative. The intent is to convey important information in a way that minimizes need for interpretation and is relatable, to promote reinforcement, and ultimately, to drive action. Ground key messages in organizational strategy and culture. These should be the first places you look to determine your organization’s key messages: Refer to organizational business continuity plan. What needs to be reinforced in internal communications to ensure the organization can achieve its business continuity plan? This is a key message. Key crisis communication points : Commitment to health and safety, key actions taken, ownership of key actions, resources available, and timelines Segment key messages Key messages can vary based on audience segment . Consider each audience segment and determine: Which key messages can be broadcast to the entire organization? Which key messages need to be segmented based on audience? Key messages that may need to be segmented, given work environments and employee level, include : Office closures Work-from-home policies Resources available Timelines CXO UG has created the HR Crisis Communications Guide Template is to provide communicators (i.e. anyone writing or sharing communications) across the organization with guidance on how to communicate effectively. It is meant to be customized by the communicator and should be used in conjunction with CXO's Crisis Communication Guide for HR and Operations.
Contact us by contact@cxo.net
COVID-19 Work Status Tracking Guide
Keep employees safe and business moving by tracking employee status Track the work status of your remote employees In this unprecedented time, part of your role as a leader is to care and support your employees. That includes being aware of their working schedule and tracking any absences. With this trackable, highly communicable disease, you have a critical administrative role to know where and when your employees are working. If they can’t work, are there additional protocols that may need to be enacted for health and safety reasons? The goal is to keep everyone safe. COVID-19 has become the greatest experiment in remote working globally, and we have a unique opportunity to learn valuable lessons as long as we have the data to explore. Trust is key CXO UG has created the HR Work Status Tracker Template, pelase send an email to conact@cxo.net for more information
The Essential COVID-19 Child Care Policy for Every Organization, Yesterday
Keep employees working while caring for children and elders at home during a pandemic. Remote work generally has challenges connected to ensuring employees are working as productively as possible. Caring for dependents such as children and elders can also pose a challenge to maintaining employee presence in the office and productively carrying out work. During this time of uncertainty, previous arrangements to care for children or an aging parent are may no longer be available due to the closing of schools, daycares, recreation centers, and senior centers, as well as in-home attendants who may be not be able to work. The unknown timelines connected to the pandemic also make financial future of organizations less predictable, forcing organizations to take a closer look at how they are managing their finances. Your ability to develop and set new direction quickly during a pandemic is crucial to instill confidence in your leadership team by your employees. During uncertainty, employees look to their leaders to provide clear guidance on the unforeseen obstacles that may impact their life at work. This includes being able to navigate and support disruptions to dependent care services that may interrupt employee ability to get work done as they normally would under business-as-usual circumstances. As senior leaders you must develop and communicate policy and plans for coverage that describes the level of support available to employees while trying to juggle personal needs with that of work commitments. It also should detail revised expectations of performance, responsibilities, attendance, etc., that will help ensure business continuity. When trying to balance employee personal commitments like child/elder care, you should first execute on the high-level coverage plans that have been set by senior leadership and their working group of key managers. Temporary pandemic coverage levels are set based on available data relating to essential vs. non-essential functions, current coverage needs, skill inventories, and productivity measures, where available. Depending on the duration of pandemic measures and length of time employees may need to integrate caring for dependents with work, there may be instances where the established coverage plans do not work for them. In this scenario it is important to work with the employee to identify if there are flexible work arrangements that can be put in place at the individual level that will help them continue to work productively while juggling other personal priorities. After a brief period of working under a temporary alternate work measure, it’s important to revisit it to ensure it is meeting the needs of both the operation and the employee.
Redeploy IT Staff to Fill Changing Demands during COVID-19 Crisis Management
Locate new areas of demand, select the right employee, retrain, and redeploy. Decide how to respond to the evolving situation CXO Advice 1 - Cost cutting Explore any cost-cutting alternatives to layoffs, for example placing employees on unpaid leave or moving a significant portion of the workforce to part-time. CXO Advice 2 – Redeployment If redeployment has been identified as a solution for departments experiencing work demand excesses or shortages CXO Advice 3 – Layoffs If the layoff threshold has been met or there are non-redeployable roles in departments experiencing demand shortages, Redeployment of existing resources to new roles offers a low-cost, low-risk way to introduce new skills into the IT department. Shortlist your candidates for redeployment by looking for solid performers with existing abilities that match the new job responsibilities. Evaluate redeployment by examining: Benefits offered by the redeployed resource The costs of transition Alternatives to redeployment On the basis of the value calculation, determine which employees (if any) you should redeploy. Summary Redeployment should be the first and last option you consider for bringing new skills into the IT department. Start by defining your list of target positions and candidate roles for redeployment. Create your redeployment shortlist by looking for employees with solid performance history and abilities overlap. For each redeployment on your shortlist, assess whether the redeployment makes economic sense. Look at the value of the employee in the new position, the costs to transition, and the value of alternatives. If you are interested in defined redeployment success, please contact us at contact@cxo.net