Crisis Management for HR Leaders
Prepare your HR function for a crisis with this one day intensive workshop
Date: Tuesday, 21st January '25
Time: 09:30 - 16:00
Cost per attendee: £395 + VAT per attendee
As recent events have illustrated, HR does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to developing security and safety initiatives to protect employees. The People function is now a vital partner in crisis management planning and training. As threats to business disruption mount – from terrorism to cyber threats, workplace violence to external protests – smart HR functions are identifying and implementing strategies to ensure employees are physically, emotionally and intellectually prepared to respond to a crisis.
This intensive training course draws on our unparalleled track record in pandemic planning and crisis management to deliver a unique HR-focused programme.
Learning from world-class expertise alongside scenarios, strategy, and checklists, learn how HR can:
- Understand the nature and scope of threats facing your organisation and what HR needs to do now
- Formulate solid plans to minimise downtime and disruption
- Get up to date with current and future legislation: understand your obligations and stay compliant
- Develop and implement employee-focussed policy and procedures for emergencies to protect employee rights and needs
- Maintain morale, brand reputation, stakeholder trust and loyalty during an emergency
- Media communication in a crisis: key HR messages
- Influence culture in the organisation to develop leadership capability and resilience to survive a crisis
- Reduce the impact of a crisis by communicating and training employees
- Avoid legal claims and lawsuits by managing a crisis properly
- Learn how HR should respond to a crisis through role play, simulation and scenarios.
- SPECIAL SESSION UPDATE: A workplace response to protest, riots and activism
Delegate feedback
“Covid showed how unprepared we were and where we can do better. This course gave us the tools to build on our experience and learn some valuable lessons”
"I have been struggling to formulate practical responses to potential crises and this course gave us exactly what we need. I have a plan to implement and practice and will be rolling out initial training this quarter."
“The trainer has amazing experience and I felt in very safe hands. Even the scenario wasn’t daunting!”
“I will recommend this course to other HR colleagues – there’s a lot we can be doing”
Platform: Zoom - An encrypted zoom platform with password access: Click here for further information and to test access
Schedule
Introduction & housekeeping
Elizabeth Smith
Director of Research , Business Forums International Ltd. (BFI)
Elizabeth is director of research and a founding co-director at Business Forums International. She is responsible for all programme content and writing, and researches current areas of interest for senior HR professionals in large organisations. BFI is the UK’s leading HR risk specialist conference and training provider, delivering key and timely information to over 3,000 delegates a year both through public and in-house training courses. Before founding BFI in 1996, Elizabeth specialised in researching corporate financial programmes in Asia and the Middle East, based in Dubai. She also worked in advertising and publishing in the Middle East and London. Elizabeth was educated in the West Indies, Saudi Arabia and Belgium before reading Modern Languages at Durham University. She is currently developing an online training course for line managers to raise awareness of menopause symptoms and ways that employers can work to make their workplaces more inclusive.
Current and potential crises facing UK organisations:
Charlie Hanbury
CEO , Samphire Risk
Charlie Hanbury is a long-standing presence in the crisis management world and is widely regarded as one of the leading experts on insuring against hostile actions and on kidnap for ransom in particular. He has supported a broad spectrum of clients from international corporations to private individuals.
- Internal and external threats: what questions should organisation be asking?
- Natural and man-made disasters and their potential impact on UK organisations
- Business integrity: data breaches, hacking, espionage and failed processes
- Travel risks your employees may face: hot spots and sources of support
- Workplace threats: fixated behaviour and violence
- Terrorism, riots and unrest
Elements of pro-active planning: ten things HR can do today to improve potential crisis responses
Mark Harris
Independent Crisis Management & Communications Expert
Over the last 24 years, Mark has worked at the forefront of crisis management and communications internationally and held senior positions with leading consultancies such Control Risks, and Burson-Marsteller. Mark has worked on over 150 incidents of kidnapping, extortion, and hostage taking around the world, and 19 cases of vessel hijack. He has also advised numerous companies as they have prepared to restructure, close facilities, or transfer operations to other countries. Mark regularly presents at conferences and is often invited to comment on news stories on a regular basis by news channels such as the BBC, ITN, Channel 4, CNN, NBC, and Al Jazeera.
An interactive brainstorming session that will look at lessons learned from COVID-19 and the way in which HR’s role has transformed in the wake of the pandemic. Delegates will identify new skills needed and how to ensure HR formulate a robust response to a crisis.
Working in small groups, you'll examine HR-specific issues in a crisis including protecting records, back up data, continuity and resilience plans. We'll also discuss HR communications, training on communications and risk avoidance in the case of an emergency, how to avoid panic and minimise the physical and psychological damage to your workforce.
Comfort break
Legal and compliance: policy, obligations and imperatives for 2024
Charlie Hanbury
CEO , Samphire Risk
Charlie Hanbury is a long-standing presence in the crisis management world and is widely regarded as one of the leading experts on insuring against hostile actions and on kidnap for ransom in particular. He has supported a broad spectrum of clients from international corporations to private individuals.
- Liability and human duty of care risks to be aware of
- Where might you be most vulnerable to legal action and lawsuits and how to mitigate that risk
- Protect Act 2024: duties and obligations for HR
- Employee welfare and training to minimise loss and injury in an emergency
- Privacy and confidentiality: essentials for HR in a crisis
- Post-covid considerations and lessons learned
- International crisis management legislation: a round-up of the key issues
- ISO22330 Guidance: what should you know
The role of HR in integrating the human aspect into your overall crisis plan
Mark Harris
Independent Crisis Management & Communications Expert
Over the last 24 years, Mark has worked at the forefront of crisis management and communications internationally and held senior positions with leading consultancies such Control Risks, and Burson-Marsteller. Mark has worked on over 150 incidents of kidnapping, extortion, and hostage taking around the world, and 19 cases of vessel hijack. He has also advised numerous companies as they have prepared to restructure, close facilities, or transfer operations to other countries. Mark regularly presents at conferences and is often invited to comment on news stories on a regular basis by news channels such as the BBC, ITN, Channel 4, CNN, NBC, and Al Jazeera.
- Anatomy of a crisis: where HR plays the critical roles
- Preparation and pre-crisis considerations: identifying risks to your human capital and assessing the impact
- Reviewing strategy and training: identifying vulnerabilities and how best to protect employees
- Essential knowledge and skills: training imperatives to cover who, what, when and why
- How to ensure the right people know the right things at the right time
- Processes and timeframes: steps to reduce and eliminate negative impact
- Key elements and responses: essential processes to ensure business operations are sustained and resumed by minimising staff risk
- Aftermath: recovery and return to business
- What not to do: mistakes that will turn a crisis into a disaster
Lunch
Media messages and communications for HR
Mark Harris
Independent Crisis Management & Communications Expert
Over the last 24 years, Mark has worked at the forefront of crisis management and communications internationally and held senior positions with leading consultancies such Control Risks, and Burson-Marsteller. Mark has worked on over 150 incidents of kidnapping, extortion, and hostage taking around the world, and 19 cases of vessel hijack. He has also advised numerous companies as they have prepared to restructure, close facilities, or transfer operations to other countries. Mark regularly presents at conferences and is often invited to comment on news stories on a regular basis by news channels such as the BBC, ITN, Channel 4, CNN, NBC, and Al Jazeera.
- Essentials of effective crisis communications
- Internal and external communication imperatives for HR: key messages to stakeholders
- Media relations in a crisis situation: what HR should and shouldn’t do
- Social media: key tactics to manage rumour, misinformation and speculation
Crisis simulation scenario
Mark Harris
Independent Crisis Management & Communications Expert
Over the last 24 years, Mark has worked at the forefront of crisis management and communications internationally and held senior positions with leading consultancies such Control Risks, and Burson-Marsteller. Mark has worked on over 150 incidents of kidnapping, extortion, and hostage taking around the world, and 19 cases of vessel hijack. He has also advised numerous companies as they have prepared to restructure, close facilities, or transfer operations to other countries. Mark regularly presents at conferences and is often invited to comment on news stories on a regular basis by news channels such as the BBC, ITN, Channel 4, CNN, NBC, and Al Jazeera.
Working in small groups, delegates will work through a crisis, roleplaying key actors in a crisis, working under pressure in real time to formulate cogent responses using the tools covered in the course. Using the elements of a crisis plan, each group will tackle a relevant and plausible crisis. You will respond to developments and events in real time to to experience the feel of real crisis.In a confidential and supportive session, delegates will embed learning and benefit from our expert tuition and guidance to leverage key elements learned.
Comfort break
Feedback, recovery and next steps
Mark Harris
Independent Crisis Management & Communications Expert
Over the last 24 years, Mark has worked at the forefront of crisis management and communications internationally and held senior positions with leading consultancies such Control Risks, and Burson-Marsteller. Mark has worked on over 150 incidents of kidnapping, extortion, and hostage taking around the world, and 19 cases of vessel hijack. He has also advised numerous companies as they have prepared to restructure, close facilities, or transfer operations to other countries. Mark regularly presents at conferences and is often invited to comment on news stories on a regular basis by news channels such as the BBC, ITN, Channel 4, CNN, NBC, and Al Jazeera.
- Five post-crisis issues to examine: what do you need to address immediately?
- Rebuilding trust and reputation
- CSR for your people - counselling, treatment and psychological first aid
Special session: a workplace response to protest, riots and activism
Martin Cleworth
Communications & Crisis Management Consultant , Biscon Planning Ltd
Martin Cleworth is a credible and engaging training consultant that specialises in negotiating, influence and crisis decision making. Working in this field for the last 12 months with a variety of organisations he have received extremely positive feedback on his credibility, delivery style and ability to add value to leaders and their organisations.
- Employers' duty of care and risk assessment
- Formulating a common sense response and communicating to all employees
- Social media: policy and parameters
- Language and communication considerations