Below are five steps that could be taken to engage manufacturing employees during a global pandemic.

1. Design a tailored engagement plan Put a special focus on the experience of manufacturing employees and site leader engagement with the goal of keeping employees safe and operations going for customers, patients and communities during this difficult time. Consider developing a site leader network to share best practices.
2. Conduct a site audience analysis Map out what you want key site audiences to know and see to motivate them, what you want them to feel to evoke and inspire the desired action and what you’re asking them to do differently.
3. Develop a multi-pronged communication strategy Develop theme and key messages to build confidence through the change required to advance to the new normal. Provide continuous support, phased over time to ensure focus on what matters most. It’s critical your theme and messages be both emotional and rationale and leave employees feeling safe, appreciated, proud and inspired.
   • Site leader change communication training Launch an approach to effectively build change communication skills for site leaders. Provide skill-building tools and resources for topics such as:
   • Maintaining Momentum & High Performance
   • Leading Team Meetings & 1:1 Conversations in Times of Uncertainty
   • Acting on Employee Feedback to Reduce Stress
   • Encouraging Healthy Boundaries; and/or Rewarding and Recognizing Employees in Thoughtful & High Impact Ways
   • Fighting Isolation by Building Stronger Connections
4. Identify relevant engagement and activation ideas Design tools to empower site leaders, to support employees through disruption and change and to minimize anxiety, and build trust. Sample engagement ideas could include:
5. Gather feedback and take action Collect feedback on how your engagement activities are received and adjust your plan as you go. Consistently acknowledge that you have heard and received employee feedback/input/suggestions and show you have taken action through plans, tactics, strategies, etc. that have been put in place.
   • Thank your employees for providing feedback/input/suggestions/concerns
   • Communicate the actions that are being taken to address their input (e.g. newsletters)
   • Share survey results and the strategies or plans you have developed to address
   • Provide timelines, where applicable, so employees know you are working to continuously improve