• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Shop
  • Jobs Board
Campaigns & Elections logo

Campaigns & Elections

  • Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Articles
    • Industry News
    • CampaignTech
    • Creative
  • Videos
  • Buyer’s Guide
  • Reports
  • Expert Database
  • Events
  • Awards
    • Reed Awards
    • CampaignTech Awards
    • Rising Stars
  • Consultant Directory
  • Become a Member
  • Shop
  • Job Board
  • Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

4 Ways to Manage Staffing During the Coronavirus Crisis

As weeks turn into months of the coronavirus crisis, wait-and-see is turning into decision time for small business owners. 

While certain functions within the campaign industry are positioned better than most to weather this downturn (hello, digital folks, enjoy your surge), we all still have to take a hard look at the practical, long-term implications for our organizations. 

One of the biggest considerations firm owners and partners have to make in this environment is related to staffing. As the latest job numbers indicated last Friday, employers in other parts of the economy had no choice but to cut their staff as community stay-at-home orders choked off their revenue. Concern about a Depression-era unemployment rate is real. 

Here’s what small firm owners should be thinking about right now:

Subscribe for Industry News Plus the Latest in Campaign Strategy & Tactics

Hidden
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Don’t panic-reduce.
I understand that you might be tempted to lay off or furlough staff to save costs, but make sure that you’re looking at the situation rationally. Staff is more expensive to replace than you realize, and remember: the Small Business Administration through the PPP is providing forgivable loans to ensure that you can continue to pay your people. Only let someone go if their performance or function really isn’t contributing to the long-term goals of your organization.

Be fair to anyone you’re letting go.

If you do decide to downsize, make sure that you’re taking care of your people. Extend their pay and health benefits for at least a month, and help them find a new gig if you can. It’s tough out there right now, and people will remember those who were kind to them when it mattered. 

Hire while the market is soft.

If you had plans to grow this year, don’t abandon those plans. The next few months are a great time to hire with top talent out on the market who wouldn’t have been available to you otherwise. The businesses that will come out of this the best are the ones who can push past their fear and invest wisely now, while everything is cheap. 

These are trying times, but many businesses will survive and thrive by staying logical, putting one foot in front of the other, and making rational, strategic investments. 

Don’t overlook interns. 

As the economy shrinks, so does the scope of opportunity for people who are just entering the workforce. This is a fantastic time to scoop up the future industry stars of tomorrow. 

Offering paid internships is a win-win: they get a chance to learn from someone great in a real-world scenario, and you get to train future entry-level talent to do things exactly the way you want them done while auditioning them for a permanent position. If you’ve got more time on your hands than you’d like right now, invest it here while you can.

Michelle Coyle is the founder of BGSD Strategies.

Share:
FacebookTweetLinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

By
Michelle Coyle
04/07/2020 12:48 PM EDT
FacebookTweetLinkedIn

C&E Creative Summit 2023 Countdown:

Get Tickets

Most Read

  • Digital Organizing

    How Digital Can Help Thread the Needle in Virginia

  • Sponsored

    Combine Digital Advertising With Direct Mail, The SMART Way

  • Sponsored

    Political Comms Is The Premium Peer-To-Peer Texting Platform

Subscribe for Industry News Plus the Latest in Campaign Strategy & Tactics

Hidden
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Become a member and get access to exclusive content.

Join Today

Footer

Upcoming Events

  • September 21

    Campaigns & Elections Creative Summit

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

For the latest in campaign strategy & tactics plus industry news and analysis, subscribe for free today.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow us

Follow Campaign and Elections for more daily content.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 Political World Communications, LLC

Advertisement

Subscribe for Industry News Plus the Latest in Campaign Strategy & Tactics

Hidden
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.