Performance slumps and economic downturns can often push an organization into a difficult position in terms of survivability. Many organizations must undertake a workforce reduction in order to purchase the commodity of time, enough of it to keep afloat until business begins to ramp up. A common management mistake is that many managers lock themselves in the perspective of hard numbers.
How much can we reduce our payroll?
How much will we lose in production output?
We as managers tend to take the human element out of the task because it is simply easier to not have to think about the implications a layoff would have on an employee’s home life and family.
Can our employees find work elsewhere in the current job market landscape?
Do my employees have the vocational skills to find employment that will maintain a livable standard?
Transparency & Communication
Receiving a layoff notice is difficult enough, being completely blindsided by a layoff notice is far worse. Use common sense, and look at the layoff from the employee’s perspective. The average person would like as much notice as possible to begin preparation for their next step (including a potential career move) and to not have any questions left unanswered. Additionally, transparency allows management to get ahead of the gossip mill. It is critical that employees feel supported and informed (not left to speculate and draw conclusions). Be advised, depending on the size and locality of the organization, there may be legally required steps to be taken in terms of advanced notice and communication.
Become a Resource
As recruiting is one of the major services that Eden Resources, LLC provides, we can tell you from experience that job search assistance is almost never taken advantage of. We often reach out to businesses to provide job search assistance and are often able to recruit their employees into new jobs with little to no delay. This is a fantastic, cost effective way to stay ahead of the problem. Resources like these maintain the spirit of being supportive of your employees and keeping you within the ethical lime light.
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Michael Chiovitti, Chief Talent Strategist
Eden Resources, LLC