How to Lead Employees Through a Pandemic

The past two months have brought unprecedented changes to workplaces around the world; more than 58% of America's knowledge workers are working remotely, and nearly half of American workers report feeling burnt out, with only 18% of workers reporting manageable workloads. Despite these statistics, there are a number of actions leaders can take to foster positivity, productivity, and strengthened organizational cultures.

The primary characteristics leaders should display in a pandemic are empathy and honesty. Honesty and truthfulness shouldn’t be conflated, however; leaders should honestly communicate with their employees, but they must ensure that their communications are based on objective facts regarding COVID-19. A great example of a leader who demonstrates honesty and truthfulness is Brian Chesky, the co-founder and CEO of Airbnb. In a letter announcing company-wide layoffs, Chesky transparently explained the layoff decision-making process, as well as being honest about what he did and didn’t know: Airbnb had to streamline to survive, and he didn’t know what the business would look like in the future.

Besides committing to empathy and honesty, leaders should treat their employees as assets, instead of simply as tools to survive a pandemic and an economic downturn. Consultant and Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour at McGill University, Chantal Westgate believes that leaders can invest in their human capital by building mental fitness across their organizations. Besides offering mental health resources and reducing employee workload, leaders can build mental fitness in their organizations by simply showing their employees that they are valued. Westgate cites Starbucks as an example for leaders to follow in implementing mental fitness programs during COVID-19. In addition to paying workers for 30 days from March 20, whether they come into work or not, Starbucks also offered catastrophe pay, mental health and sick pay benefits, and childcare support. Investing in mental fitness during COVID-19 will not only make employees more productive, but will also increase organizational commitment and build resilience, helping organizations handle whatever comes next.

Westgate’s second point of advice for leaders: to redefine their mindset regarding remote work. Degrees of distance (cultural, interpersonal, etc) have always existed, and have always been accepted - and sometimes, celebrated - as part of the price of doing business. Remote work adds a layer of geographic distance to work, but this doesn’t have to necessarily mean a bad thing; in fact, research shows that flexible remote work policies have the potential to increase productivity. In addition to embracing remote work, Westgate advises leaders to stop controlling their employees, and control their results instead; this is especially important given the out of ordinary work schedules many parents/homeschoolers now keep. 

In addition to managing remote work, one of the greatest challenges leaders are facing is sustaining a positive organizational culture in the midst of widespread layoffs. Leaders must show employees (both surviving and terminated) that the layoff process was fair, that it was done empathetically, and that the organization will continue to care for laid-off employees. Brian Chesky laid off nearly 1,900 Airbnb employees and set an example for all leaders on how to approach layoffs in COVID-19 (see his must-read letter here). Chesky outlined how layoff decisions were made, crucially considering the following points: Airbnb’s future business strategy, what they could do for their impacted employees, staying true to their diversity commitments, implementing 1-on-1 communication for those impacted, and waiting to communicate decisions only when all details were landed. Airbnb offered generous severance, healthcare, and equity packages to affected employees; numerous Q&A sessions with Chesky and Airbnb managers; and job support through an Alumni Placement Team and placement website.

While many companies might not have the resources Airbnb has, managers can still emulate much of Chesky’s layoff policy and communications. Leaders should be similarly transparent with their employees, facilitate personal communication where possible, and devote any possible resources to job placement. Most companies won’t be able to create an internal recruitment team dedicated solely to alumni placement, but all leaders have the ability to use their connections to help impacted employees in the future. Above all, leaders should emulate Chesky by emphasizing that laid-off employees did incredible work at the organization and that they are still valued at the company.

Guiding organizations through a global pandemic was never a part of anyone’s job description; however, leaders nevertheless need to step up and guide their employees by example. By displaying honesty, investing in mental resilience, redefining mindsets regarding remote work, and demonstrating compassion, leaders can create organizational cultures that are strong enough to withstand crises in the future.