We shared recommendations for employers on strengthening employees’ crisis preparedness in Äripäev Radio’s “Kriisiplaan”
In Äripäev Radio’s programme “Kriisiplaan”, host Hando Sinisalu, Hannes Nagel, Head of the Crisis Research Centre, and Erki Mägi, Head of Management Consulting at PwC, discussed how crises affect companies and why organisational resilience begins with employees’ own crisis preparedness. In the programme, we emphasised that during a crisis, a company is not only a workplace, but also a small community whose continuity depends on how well its people are prepared to cope themselves.
Because the level of individual crisis preparedness in Estonia remains regrettably low, a company’s resilience cannot be viewed separately from the people who work there. When a crisis affects an individual, their first priority is the safety of their family and meeting basic needs. This is precisely where workforce-related risks emerge for employers, alongside uncertainty regarding the availability of resources and increased pressure on organisational continuity.
Our recommendation to business leaders is simple: view the company as a small community. If the members of that community — its employees — are not prepared for crises, the organisation cannot realistically expect to operate flexibly under difficult circumstances. Employers should therefore invest far more in strengthening the individual crisis preparedness of their workforce through training, practical guidance and recommendations that help people cope more effectively during emergencies. This community-based approach to crisis preparedness within the private sector is still relatively new in Estonia, but in our view it is becoming increasingly necessary.
The programme also highlighted a broader trend: the role of the private sector in strengthening crisis preparedness is inevitably growing. The reason is straightforward. At present, the state lacks sufficient capacity, resources and, in some areas, readiness to address this issue systematically. As a result, companies cannot afford to wait for solutions to come from outside; they must increasingly develop their own preparedness culture that supports both employees and organisational continuity as a whole.
Erki Mägi emphasised that crisis preparedness begins with recognising risks. According to him, companies should first focus on tangible threats that are directly relevant to their operations, such as cyberattacks, staff shortages, supply-chain disruptions and power outages. Organisations that have already considered potential crisis scenarios and planned their responses are in a clear advantage compared to those that have not.
The programme also explored organisational adaptation to crises, risk insurance and lessons from the war in Ukraine. One of the key conclusions of the discussion was that crisis preparedness is no longer a peripheral issue or a formal compliance requirement; it is a direct component of an organisation’s ability to continue operating under challenging conditions.
We invite you to listen to the programme, as the discussion clearly illustrates why organisational resilience begins with people’s preparedness and why community-based crisis preparedness in the private sector is no longer a topic for the future, but a necessity today.
🟠 You can listen to the full discussion on crisis preparedness here (in Estonian).
Jaga postitust: