In the dynamic climate of today’s business world, uncertainties and crises are unavoidable parts of operations. Companies looking to insulate themselves from associated risks need to consider natural disasters, cybersecurity threats, political and social instability, and other dangers that can strike at any time, without warning. To anticipate, manage, and recover from such disruptions, organizations must establish a robust crisis management process, which should be adaptable and scalable.
In November 2023, WERC hosted a member-led Corporate Roundtable where best practices around crisis management were discussed. While each event and company are unique, attendees found that there are commonalities when dealing with the unexpected.
1. Crisis Management Does Not Begin Once an Emergency Has Occurred
To be ready, advanced preparation is needed. During the session, an enterprise’s data was identified as a crucial factor in being disaster ready.
During the initial COVID-19 lockdowns, the most discussed data point was location. Many employers realized that their employees were not where initially believed, and some were in areas from where they could not legally work. Leadership looked toward global mobility to help gather and maintain information around employee location. As remote work has increased in popularity, knowing where your people are is more important than ever, as it helps understand who is affected by a particular crisis, as well as the extent to which their ability to perform their job will be compromised.
2. Knowing the Nationalities of Employees Matters
Should an employee need to be evacuated, understanding where they have a right to work can help in making fast decisions under pressure. Implementing a robust Human Resources Information System (HRIS) is an integral part of keeping and managing this type of information.
3. Communication Is a Key Component of Preparation
Even when management knows employees’ locations, if they cannot communicate with them, it becomes harder to ensure safety and business continuity. It is recommended that organizations employ several avenues, such as phone, email, push alerts, check-in requests, and messaging apps to offer employees the ability to connect and remain aware of latest developments.
Attendees also discussed several practical takeaways that mobility professionals and their employers can implement when addressing crises:
- For fast response, organizations should have a crisis management team (CMT), comprised of stakeholders from across the company. The team should be well defined, including names, roles, decision-making rights, and limits. There should be clarity on who will be providing what type of information to stakeholders as well as communication methods available to each individual.
- The company should have a strong business continuity plan, which should be tested regularly and consider various emergency types. For those companies hiring internationally, decisions should be made in advance on whether additional or different types of support will be provided to foreign nationals versus locals, as well as when such support would come into play. Related to this topic, the type of support the company would provide families/depends, if any, should be known. During the roundtable, it became obvious that definition of family can also vary. Some attendees offer assistance to employees only, some to spouses and kids as well, but others go a step further and include pets or elderly parents. These conversations should be had long before crisis strikes and communicated to employees.
- The company must also have a comprehensive list of suppliers they can rely on for information gathering, advice, and support. Attendees mentioned several such supplier types. Some rely on external travel health and security risk management providers, while for others, these functions are in-house. One company relied on their employer of record (EOR) to help find locations where they could immediately relocate employees from areas where conflict arose. Others discussed relying heavily on their immigration providers for help. All agreed that these relationships must be managed and maintained in calm times. It is not sufficient to know you can rely on an external provider, but who to call and what information they might need from the start. Having these conversations early can lead to a more rapid, clear, and effective response.
- Ensure your employee population is travel ready, especially foreign nationals. Employees should be encouraged to keep their passports valid, with at least six months left before expiration. Many countries require six-months validity at the time of entrance. Employees should also keep in mind that the duration to issue new passports varies by country.
Additional Considerations for Dealing With a Crisis
Once a crisis has begun and the crisis management team is active, roundtable participants indicated that their focus turns to addressing immediate needs. For the company, this can mean implementing the business continuity plan. For employees, the needs might vary but can include medical care, evacuation, or simply unbiased and correct information. One reason employees will look to the company for information assistance is the wide availability of misinformation. Relying on experts within your organization and supply chain can ensure stakeholders are better prepared to access resources or even evacuate safely.
Roundtable attendees recommended that even organizations that exclusively work from the office ensure key personnel can work remotely in case of a crisis. One participant mentioned their office being equipped with generators, but some employees might not be able to travel. Decisions around flexible working hours might also have to be made, to accommodate those that need time to manage other crisis-related factors during business hours. A flexible and adaptable crisis management plan that is well communicated and available to employees will increase the chances of success.
HR and mobility teams, participants noted, must be ready to offer information on what type of help is available, including eligibility criteria for evacuation, medical, immigration, or relocation support, as needed. Suppliers should be able to offer information on items such as visa-free entry destinations for employees facing evacuation, as well as countries allowing work from home for the employer, and places offering quick or easy issuance of work authorizations. Constant communication between all stakeholders will be paramount for support implementation.
Once the immediate and short-term needs have been addressed, attendees indicated the organization should begin assessing its long-terms needs, which might include adjustments to the business continuity plan, decisions over the need for ongoing or long-term support, necessary relocation packages, and job description changes, as needed. Communication needs might also change as new perspectives are identified or new personnel added to the crisis management team.
Additionally, participants discussed ensuring that organizations factor in when and how to decide when a crisis is over. Certain disruptions might require short-term adjustments, but in other times a “new normal” begins. Companies will need to decide what is considered the end of the crisis, and what that means for its employees.
No matter the size and scope of the organization, roundtable attendees believed that it is imperative for company leadership to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of its crisis response. Transparent conversations will help ensure future crises are responded to quickly and effectively. The response must be reviewed immediately, and also continuously, as the company grows, enters new markets, hires in and from areas not previously supported, or even adds additional product or service lines. As the company changes, so will its needs. No one plan works for every organization, but the best plans are well communicated and both flexible and scalable to be able to address the above and any other previously unconsidered factors.