Franklin
Buchanan, Post Up Careers Founder and Top LinkedIn Voice,
provides business strategies to ease the outplacement process when
terminating one or more employees.
AIKEN,
S.C., June 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Letting
go even one employee is disruptive, and the more employees that are
impacted, the more disruptive – and more public – it can be. No
matter how legitimate the decision is, layoffs can have
far-reaching impacts for an organization and its workforce,
including impacts on culture, employee satisfaction, and
reputation.
They're also more public than ever. There are regular posts from
employees on social media and tracking websites detailing the
grizzly nature of some less-than-ideal layoffs, leading to messy
publicity and scrutiny, as the CEOs of Better.com and Hypersocial,
dubbed the "Crying CEO" have learned.
An organization's layoff approach can minimize these potential
risks while easing the transition of those being separated from the
organization along with those that remain.
Here are four essential strategies that companies and senior
executives should follow to make layoffs smoother, avoid bad
publicity, reduce internal tension, and set displaced employees up
for success.
1. Learn from experience.
Layoffs should serve as a learning experience for organizations.
If this isn't your first layoff, reflect on the steps taken to
manage the prior action. This reflection can help reshape the
company's strategies and approaches.
If this is the first time you're facing this situation, do your
research to learn from other's missteps, but also those that have
successfully navigated layoffs.
As a best practice, you should engage human resources and legal
teams early, plus outplacement consultants, should you offer this
support (which you should).
2. Offer outplacement support.
Providing outplacement services supports affected employees get
back on their feet quickly. But it has many other benefits,
too.
Outplacement support reduces unemployment costs by reducing the
time separated employees are without work, increases (remaining)
employee morale, lowers the risks of negative responses from
impacted employees, and improves the company's reputation. In fact,
83% of Americans said offering outplacement services to laid-off
employees would improve their opinion of the organization.
Outplacement services like resume writing, LinkedIn profile
development, and interview preparation help employers improve their
value proposition by demonstrating genuine care for their
employees' future.
3. Take a personal approach.
When the time comes for the announcement, it should never be a
cold, robotic process. Leadership should ensure the news is
delivered in a compassionate and personal manner.
When possible, meet individually with each affected employee,
exhibit empathy, and assure them that they are valued and
respected. Taking a personal approach allows for more understanding
and a better chance of preserving professional relationships.
For larger layoffs, delegate a post-announcement meeting to
individual managers.
When laying off a remote workforce, consider giving some time
before completely cutting off their access to allow them the
opportunity to connect with valued colleagues before their
departure.
4. Communicate effectively and transparently.
It's imperative that those in charge of communicating the
decision not make it about them. Learn from the "Crying CEO."
Impacted employees don't want to hear how hard the decision was
on the leader. You need to get to the point quickly and explain the
business reason for the layoff. Try to avoid cliché' terms like
"rightsizing," "smartsizing," or "workforce alignment." If you
over-hired or the business unit isn't performing, just say so.
Get to the point quickly and provide those being impacted with
clear information about next steps, ensuring they receive concise,
transparent information about what to expect and when to expect
it.
With effective communication, outplacement support, a personal
approach, and learning from experience, organizations can make the
process less overwhelming for every party involved.
At Post Up Careers, we focus on helping displaced employees find
their next dream job and navigate career transitions quickly and
effectively. Learn more about our unique approach and expertise in
delivering successful outplacement results.
Franklin Buchanan, the Founder
of Post Up Careers, is a Certified Professional Career Coach and
Certified Veteran Career Strategist through the Professional
Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches. He is also a
member of the Forbes Coaches Council and has been recognized as a
"Top Voice" on LinkedIn in Outplacement and Resume Writing.
CONTACT:
Franklin Buchanan, Post Up
Careers
803-507-5076 or franklin@postupcareers.com
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SOURCE Post Up Careers