When a Natural Disaster Strikes: Best Practices for Assessing Client Needs and How to Help

In early March, at least 10 tornadoes hit the Nashville area, killing 25 people and injuring more than 300 others. In addition to connecting with our employees and talent to assess their safety and needs, our Hire Dynamics team quickly contacted clients about damage to their workplaces and began to assist people in the community. Here are some key steps for staffing agencies to consider if faced with a similar situation.

Contact clients quickly. As part of an emergency action plan, your staffing agency should have a list of clients readily accessible. Divide the list among your branch employees and begin to call clients to determine the extent of damage to their workplaces. However, be sure to have the same messaging and plan if you are reaching out to multiple people at a client organization. Keep track of what you are learning from your calls. Does the damage seem to be temporary, such as experiencing a lack of power, water or communications? Or, has the facility or equipment been damaged which will cause it to be closed for repair or re-building?Find out what other immediate business needs your client may have.

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Cross-reference information with talent list. Begin to build a list of talent who may need to move to new roles at the client company or placed elsewhere altogether. Find out what other work solutions or needs may now exist with this client and look at how your talent or staffing organization can help.

Help clients with immediate needs. Perhaps your clients need working phones to use to reach their employees. Or, maybe they need help with making the calls or tracking the information they are collecting. Perhaps they need a generator to keep critical operations running. Your staffing agency may be able to provide office space and telephone access, people or even emergency equipment to help clients in the early hours of a crisis.For example, after the recent tornadoes, we assisted three talent with hotel accommodations, personal hygiene items and gift cards for food, groceries and supplies to assist with their young children and grandparents. We also took our Coach and went to the community with personal hygiene packets, meals for a client volunteering in storm-damaged areas, clothing donations, water and Gatorade.

Keep in touch with clients. Stay in touch with your clients regularly after the initial days of the crisis. Assure them that they can count on your team to help meet their business needs as they emerge from the situation and begin to resume regular operations.

 

Karen Wilhite

Karen Wilhite
Karen Wilhite is regional manager – Nashville for Hire Dynamics.

Karen Wilhite

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