Consistent, Open Communication Crucial During Layoffs, According to Watson Wyatt
March 10 2009 - 1:48PM
PR Newswire (US)
WASHINGTON, March 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Leaders can keep
employees engaged and productive during layoffs by consistently and
openly communicating with their workforce before, during and after
the announcements are made, according to experts at Watson Wyatt, a
leading global consulting firm. A Watson Wyatt survey conducted in
February 2009 found that 52 percent of companies had already made
layoffs, and another 13 percent expect to do so in the next 12
months. "The pace of layoffs may be slowing from the staggering
highs of the last few months, but until the worst of this economic
crisis is behind us, there will certainly be more to come," said
Kathryn Yates, global director of communication consulting at
Watson Wyatt. "While employers continue to make difficult
cost-cutting decisions, they can still take important steps to keep
remaining workers engaged and productive on the job." To help in
this effort, experts at Watson Wyatt suggest critical communication
elements for leaders to keep in mind before, during and after
layoffs: Before Prepare leaders early. While leaders should
initially deliver key messages about business conditions and
actions, it's important for frontline managers to personalize and
reinforce them. A Watson Wyatt survey conducted in December 2008
found that nearly all messages related to the current environment
are delivered centrally. Of those, 91 percent are delivered by
leadership and only half (56 percent) by frontline managers. "As
they work closely with employees on the ground, frontline managers
play a key role in making it easier for employees to understand and
accept key business decisions," said Pam Rollins, divisional
practice leader of communication consulting at Watson Wyatt.
"Employers can help managers become more effective communicators by
providing appropriate talking points, tools and training." During
Clearly communicate the rationale for layoffs, and don't shy away
from tough questions. Transparency is critical to maintaining
trust. Employees leaving the organization will want to know what
support the company will provide them and hear that their service
has been valued, while employees remaining will want to know
whether their own jobs are secure. Ensuring that messages to both
terminated and remaining employees are consistent with the
rationale for those layoff decisions will go a long way toward
preserving leadership's credibility. "Employers will not have
answers to many tough questions during a restructuring," said
Rollins. "However, they can share information about how the
decisions were made, give details about when more might be known
and reinforce these messages on an ongoing basis." After Engage
remaining employees by communicating a vision for the future.
Highly engaged employees are more resilient during times of change
and will drive performance in critical times. Employers can help
remaining employees stay engaged during a restructuring effort by
delivering messages about the organization's long-term vision,
clarifying how the employees can contribute to it and setting up
realistic expectations for sharing information and available
support going forward. "Keeping an eye on the corporate vision will
help employers and employees alike navigate through these tough
times," said Yates. "If workers can be reassured that their company
has a strategy for growth, and that they play a part in that
strategy, they will worry less about the future." About Watson
Wyatt Worldwide Watson Wyatt (NYSE:WWNASDAQ:WW) is the trusted
business partner to the world's leading organizations on people and
financial issues. The firm's global services include: managing the
cost and effectiveness of employee benefit programs; developing
attraction, retention and reward strategies; advising pension plan
sponsors and other institutions on optimal investment strategies;
providing strategic and financial advice to insurance and financial
services companies; and delivering related technology, outsourcing
and data services. Watson Wyatt has 7,700 associates in 32
countries and is located on the Web at http://www.watsonwyatt.com/.
DATASOURCE: Watson Wyatt CONTACT: Ed Emermanfor Watson Wyatt,
+1-609-275-5162, ; or Steve Arnoff of Watson Wyatt,
+1-703-258-7634, Web Site: http://www.watsonwyatt.com/
Copyright