4 company leaders on how to be responsive to your workforce during a crisis

In a moment when the stakes are constantly being raised and life — let along work — hasn’t felt “normal” in weeks, companies must find ways to support their employees in addition to navigating murky economic waters.

On Thursday, Technical.ly hosted its first Introduced|Virtual conference, the first all-online version of our annual conference that introduces the ideas, people and opportunities that build better companies. (Look for the IRL version to return during Philly Tech Week 2020 presented by Comcast this September.)

During the “How to be Responsive to Your Workforce During a Crisis” panel moderated by Technical.ly Philly reporter Paige Gross, over 200 live attendees heard from company leaders from around the mid-Atlantic about their strategies for communicating with employees and maintaining flexibility without compromising key tenets and standards during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Our speakers:

• Lloyd Adams, managing director for the East Region at SAP
• Jacob Hsu, CEO of Baltimore’s Catalyte
• Melanie Penna, SVP of people and integration at Philly’s Comcast
• Lindsy Noble, director of people at D.C.’s Clutch

Couldn’t attend live? Watch the full panel below (and skip a few minutes ahead to reach the start of the conversation):

Read on for a recap of the big ideas we heard:

Transparency trumps all.

Each of the panelists spoke to the importance of honesty and authenticity in communicating company changes to employees, even as the frequency of communication may change depending on the urgency of the moment.

Lindsy Noble: @clutch_co thinks of this as ongoing change management; in normal times, employees want to hear more from leadership than you think they do

Mel Penna: "We've been really honest" about shifts that may need to become permanent shifts at @comcast#PTW20 #Intro20

— Technical.ly Philly (@TechnicallyPHL) May 7, 2020

On internal comms during a crisis:@catalyte's leadership team has spent more time explaining why decisions have been made.

How much is too much? At @SAP, veered to overcommunication when the situation was new and scary, but scaled back after a few weeks.#Intro20#PTW20

— Technical.ly Philly (@TechnicallyPHL) May 7, 2020

Mel Penna: For its people leaders, @comcast established a nightly executive summary email for easy access to verified info.

Also set regular, but optional, overview meetings, some of which are now being sunsetted so the team can get back in a better biz rhythm #PTW20 #Intro20

— Technical.ly Philly (@TechnicallyPHL) May 7, 2020

Strategies vary, but top-down communication is king.

Attendees shared their thoughts on responding to the crisis, too. In a real-time poll asking how their companies are responding, the most common responses were more frequent communication from the CEO and other leaders, more frequent all-hands meetings and more frequent one-on-one meetings.

Interesting outcome of #Intro20 is getting 250+ pulse survey responses from company builders about different topics.

Here's a look at what companies are doing to be more responsive right now #PTW20 pic.twitter.com/iBEaax2avz

— Christopher Wink (@christopherwink) May 7, 2020

Mental health matters.

Downtown D.C.-based Clutch is encouraging employees to take care of themselves, as well as offering one free day off during May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month. And SAP, with its U.S. HQ in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, is getting interactive in promoting stress relief.

Lindsy Noble: At @clutch_co, with 75 employees, refocused comms efforts on professional dev/wellness activities and has "highly encouraged" use of PTO — and also allowing all employees to take a mental health day in May that won't count as PTO#Intro20 #PTW20

— Technical.ly Philly (@TechnicallyPHL) May 7, 2020

.@SAP is offering a daily bootcamp led by an employee who's a fitness instructor!

Silver lining of this situation, says Lloyd Adams: People are showing off creativity in finding ways to connect.#Intro20 #PTW20

— Technical.ly Philly (@TechnicallyPHL) May 7, 2020

Don’t forget the families.

Many workers are now WFH alongside their kids (and pets), which brings a new set of stressors. A few panelists spoke about how they’re supporting their employees in those situations.

Employees are also home with their families now. How to support?

Mel Penna: @comcast employees can share tips and be spotlighted on internal workspace

Lloyd Adam: @SAP did a virtual Take Your Child to Work Day (open to customers, too!)#Intro20 #PTW20

— Technical.ly Philly (@TechnicallyPHL) May 7, 2020

“Normal” is a long way off.

In short: There’s no timeline for returning to work as usual, and no one knows when there will be one.

When do you expect to return to the office?

At @SAP, offices all over the world, so depends on local policies@comcast has no timeline, but is considering who NEEDS to go back first#Intro20 #PTW20

Attendee poll: pic.twitter.com/GxQLdlzvyF

— Technical.ly Philly (@TechnicallyPHL) May 7, 2020

Catch the full day of panels on YouTube.

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Philly Tech Week 2020 is more like Philly Tech Year, with more virtual events like this coming throughout the next few months. Get updates on speakers, sessions, attendee specials and more by signing up for #PTW20 emails today: