How would you contact your staff in a crisis?
If you knew there was a problem with your office – meaning staff should not come in – would you know how to contact them?
I was speaking to a company recently who had a power cut in their Central City office. They wanted to tell their staff to work from home, but had no way of contacting everybody. Sending a simple message like “don’t come into the office today, there has been a power cut” is made much easier with an Emergency Notification System.
What is an Emergency Notification System?
It is a piece of Software that will link to your HR system and collate all of your phone numbers, so you can contact your staff in an emergency.
You shouldn’t expect everybody to respond to your emergency message. However, it will allow you to ring-fence an area and send a message to your staff inside the affected area. Staff can report back if they are safe, or if they need any help.
The Software will allow you to produce a report which will outline who has responded and who you need to follow up with.
ENS systems have come a long way in recent years and should be the top consideration for any organization. They don’t just do SMS/ Text they have a number of communication methods, some with their own App.
How to send the right message
How can you ensure people pay attention to your Emergency Message and take appropriate action?
The message needs to be:
- Sent from a local authority
- Tailored to the recipient
- Contain specific, actionable advice
Alternative Options
- Bulk Text Messaging – this is usually a similar cost with much less functionality.
- Social Media
- Ensure you include all interested parties such as key vendors, customers, supervisory authorities
If you want to increase your Organizational Resilience, start with preparing a Business Continuity Plan and check out BCP Builder’s Business Continuity Planning Templates.
