3 tips on crafting employee comms that cut through crises

At Ragan’s Internal Communications Conference, Rotem Slupski, head of internal communications at Sheba Medical Center in Israel, shared how COVID and war affected her strategies—and what they taught her about getting through to employees.

Slupski shared her perspectives on how communicators can get through to employees amid crises, touching on how COVID and war affected her strategies.

“Internal communication is about turning chaos into clarity while building trust among employees,” Slupski said.

• Embrace a consistent cadence. Employees crave guidance during a crisis—and communicators can provide it. Slupski told the audience that communicators should position the organization as a multifaceted resource for employees in a crisis.  Slupski provided an example from her own experience. After the events of October 7, Sheba sent out an alert to employees within 90 minutes.  These quick, transparent communications helped build trust in a moment of turmoil. “In times of crisis, an organization is more than an employer. It must be a protector, a guide, and a source of stability. Your employees need to hear from you frequently, clearly, and with purpose.”
• Don’t try new approaches in the moment. If you have tools you rely on in a crisis, lean into them. There will be times to experiment in the future. “New tools aren’t the answer during a crisis,” Slupski said. “Stick to the systems and habits your people already know.”
• Don’t overwhelm with information. Be careful not to create an avalanche of messaging in crisis times. People want to be informed, but ride the line to not dump too much on them at once. “Don’t overload people with information,” she added. “Be concise, focused, and actionable.”

Check out Slupski’s case study below.

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and hosting trivia.