Five Years On: The Pandemic and Communication

As we pass the five-year mark since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, its impact continues to wash across our lives.

In some ways, society is changed, probably forever. There are huge challenges, including the escalating divide and mistrust in our society.

I know. YAWN.

I’m not going there. This post is narrower—about our communications field. The pandemic not only transformed how people work but also how businesses communicate and engage with employees.

In a recent PRWeek article, industry leaders from both agency and in-house teams were interviewed on how the virus still shapes their jobs and decisions today. I’ve reflected on their thoughts while adding my insights.

Internal Communications is Now Front Stage

For many years, internal communications was a backwater in the PR field, overshadowed by the flashier media relations and crisis communication teams. Those days are over.

At American Express, Jennifer Skyler, chief corporate affairs officer, emphasized the importance of internal communications during the pandemic. “We had to communicate clearly and effectively to our global colleague base during times of extreme uncertainty,” Skyler said, underscoring that strong internal communications were crucial in supporting employees during such uncertain times.

And from then on. As culture and talent take the fore, and as our world promises nothing but continued turmoil, internal comms teams are critical across the enterprise and should be strategic partners at the companies that want to be agile enough to thrive.

Purpose and Employee Engagement

The pandemic also highlighted the importance of organizational purpose and employee engagement, particularly in crisis situations. Tamara Norman, U.S. CEO of Ketchum, emphasized that the pandemic spotlighted the need for companies to define and deliver on their purpose in ways they hadn’t before.

People might be surprised to see purpose still on the list. It’s safe to say that a lot of foxhole promises were made in the heat of the moment in 2020 have grown a little cold in the meantime. That’s fine. Having cleared the chumps out, there’s a clear strategic opportunity for companies to use their purpose to drive a stronger culture and better business outcomes.

Remember, your purpose doesn’t have to be to eliminate world hunger, relieve oppression or erase racial injustice, nor does it require you to torture common sense and the English language.

From HBO’s Silicon Valley

I worked with a company that made RV products. So what is the ultimate purpose of, for example, the hose that took the brown water into an appropriate receptacle?

I always said “to get people back to enjoying the RV lifestyle.”

Therefore, A New Kind of Leader

Maeve Hagen, CEO of Taylor, discussed how the pandemic altered the definition of leadership. As employees now demand greater transparency, flexibility, and a sense of purpose in their work, Hagen had to adapt her leadership style to build trust and foster a thriving culture in both virtual and in-person environments.

For Grace Leong, CEO and partner at Hunter, the pandemic deepened her relationship with the HR team. “My partnership with my HR team has never been deeper, stronger, and more vital to the success of the organization,” she shared. Leong noted the same employee expectations as Hagen did, and noted an environment where talent engagement has become a top priority. For Leong, the CEO’s role in creating a safe, inclusive, and collaborative work environment is now as important as operations, client counsel, and marketing.

The Shift to Remote Work and Hybrid Models

Compared to a pandemic killing millions and rupturing the country’s partisan divide, this issue might seem relatively quotidian. But to my mind, it is probably the most widely experienced change to how the world of work will function moving forward.

Scott Allison, cofounder and adviser at Allison Worldwide, discussed the ongoing debate surrounding the return-to-office (RTO) versus work-from-home (WFH) arrangements. He pointed out that, while remote work became a built-in perk during the pandemic, many companies are still struggling to define the "new normal."

Here’s the thing. This is also a chance for agile and smart companies to gain on their tradition-bound competitors. Every company will have its own sweet spot, but attracting talent should be one of the strategic guidelines in making this decision. Teams that facilitate talent will own the future; teams that facilitate mediocrity—as in those who need workers in office to monitor them—will struggle.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic may be over, but its legacy in reshaping workplace culture and communication is still thriving. The world also continues to offer upheaval at every turn. Communicators are focused more internally than ever before, as inside-out culture-building is necessary to create the agility needed for survival today.