All Collections
COVID-19 Resources
Resources
Employee Perspective on COVID-19
Employee Perspective on COVID-19

A guide to understanding results for statements related to the Assessment of the COVID-19 Situation

Leah Hahn avatar
Written by Leah Hahn
Updated over a week ago

The statements:

  • I believe that COVID-19/Coronavirus should be taken seriously. 

  • This pandemic is a significant event that will have long-lasting effects.

If most employees agreed with these statements:

They recognize the seriousness of this situation. They are thinking about the long-term effects as they experience the changes that are occurring. As you lead through this time, it is important to understand how your team is perceiving the COVID-19 situation as this can inform how to communicate with your team about it and how frequently to do so.

If most of your employees disagreed with these statements:

They may not be as concerned with the immediate or long-term impact of the COVID-19 situation. As you lead through this time, think about how you can talk about this situation with your team. Many employees trust the information shared by their organization and leaders.

Best Practices for Leaders

Acknowledge the crisis
Acknowledge the crisis and its severity. Develop a plan for responding to the crisis and communicate that plan to employees. 

Be transparent
Be willing to explain your decision-making process and help others understand how you weighed the options. Think through these questions:

  • How are you thinking about the situation?

  • What decisions have you already made?

  • What things are you monitoring?

Use facts
Fighting misinformation is increasingly challenging. Studies show that employees tend to trust their organization leaders more than the government and media, so make sure you're using facts when communicating to employees, not unsubstantiated misinformation.

Avoid certain words
Even when you’re communicating facts, pay extra attention to how you’re communicating. Avoid using words and phrases that are ambiguous or emotionally-charged.

Related Resources We've Found Helpful

Most believe employers over government on coronavirus
[Article] Most people say they are more likely to believe their employers than government websites or traditional or social media when it comes to information about the coronavirus pandemic. Read More...

COVID-19: Facts, myths and hypotheses
[Article] A factual history and timeline of events of COVID-19. Read More...

The Simplest Way to Spot Coronavirus Misinformation on Social Media
[Article] A digital literacy expert shares his method. Read More...

10 Words Leaders Should Avoid When Discussing Coronavirus With Their Employees
[Article] There are good ways and bad ways to discuss scary topics with employees. Read More...

10 Steps to Effective Coronavirus Crisis Leadership
[Article] We are experiencing a global crisis that needs leaders like you to lead. A crisis is defined as a time when difficult or important decisions must be made. We often don't see a crisis coming and aren't prepared. Read More...

Leadership in a crisis: Responding to the coronavirus outbreak and future challenges
[Article] Five leadership practices can help you respond effectively. Read More...

Did this answer your question?