Employers don’t like to think disaster—and who can blame them—but proactive plans are critical for dealing with calamities of all kinds. If employees are engaged and actively communicating via internal channels, crises can be addressed quickly (and calmly) with optimal success, and perhaps even avoided in the first place. 

Employee apps offer companies the opportunity to reach employees during a disaster no matter where they are and no matter what device they’re using, be it a desktop computer or a mobile device. They allow organizations to react when a crisis occurs, sharing information with an intuitive, easy-to-use content management system. And they can enable workforces to avert crises altogether, helping them plan ahead for future events. 

According to Brunswick, an advisory group working with companies around the globe, the first step in any crisis is to check in with employees. Ensuring workforce safety should be a company’s top priority.

Next, employees need to be kept in the loop. Just as workers are often the biggest advocates for a brand, access to accurate information can help them spread the word about crisis response and, in doing so, mitigate internal and external fear and mistrust.

Reach

According to Brunswick, an advisory group working with companies around the globe, the first step in any crisis is to check in with employees. Ensuring workforce safety should be a company’s top priority. Next, employees need to be kept in the loop. Just as workers are often the biggest advocates for a brand, access to accurate information can help them spread the word about crisis response and, in doing so, mitigate internal and external fear and mistrust.

One Staffbase customer, Nebraska’s Adams Land & Cattle Co. (ALCC), found that their employee app played a critical role in their agribusiness during weather emergencies.

adams land and cattle crisis communication

“We had an ice storm early last week, but thanks to our team’s preparation and hard work we were able to continue operations and make sure our cattle were well taken care of,” said Elizabeth Babcock, ALCC’s Director of Communications and Talent. “The Staffbase mobile app has become an instrumental piece of our crisis planning, particularly related to weather conditions.”

React

Reactions are required immediately when a crisis occurs. An employee app with an intuitive content management system makes it easy for administrators to react when duty calls by sharing critical information to and from all devices.

Franciscan Children’s, a post-acute pediatric healthcare provider in Boston, uses their Staffbase employee app, TheFRAN, for instant crisis communications that improve patient safety.

franciscan childrens crisis communication

“TheFRAN allowed us to communicate proactively and in real-time to all staff throughout the organization,” said Franciscan Children’s Director of Nursing, Elizabeth Smith. “It broke down silos of communication which often led to unintentional but negative consequences for patient safety.”

Plan Ahead

Unlike other internal communications channels, an employee app allows users to act immediately to address errors and relay safety information to all users or to targeted groups. App administrators can proactively create crisis channels that are on standby before an issue occurs. With the push of a button on any device, administrators can immediately check in with colleagues and send messages to help keep them safe.

Read more about employee communication apps: