Set Aside Time To Communicate With Employees
Employees are core assets in any company, so it is important to set aside sufficient time to communicate the news and interact with employees. Explain the business situation of the company, why this decision was necessary and clarify any doubts that the employees may have on the issue.
Giving them sufficient time to deal with the news of a layoff will help them to experience grief, recover faster and move forward. Employees will appreciate the time and effort spent by the management and hold the company in high regard, even after they are asked to leave the company.
Chris Cancialosi said in a recent article:
“Big changes are disruptive to any organization, but people need to know what’s changing, why, and how it affects them. What’s more, they need the time and space to process the change, ask questions, and experience the various stages of grief or loss.”
Treat Employees With Dignity And Meet Them Individually
It doesn’t matter even if you have to announce the layoff to as many as a hundred people, do it individually. Never break the bad news to the employees with the help of an e-mail or company newsletter. Employees deserve to be treated with respect. Schedule individual meetings with each employee and give them the bad news. Avoid being rude or sounding arrogant, especially if the employee is being laid off due to business reasons.
Susan M. Heathfield said in a recent article:
“Remember that your employees and former employees may not remember why you were forced to do layoffs but they will remember how they were treated. Treat people with dignity. Do the layoffs individually with Human Resources and the employee’s manager present. Complete the process on the same day. Do not even consider a mass meeting, telephone conference call, or an email to lay people off.”
Treating employees with the respect that they deserve when they are laid off, will preserve the reputation of the employer. This will in turn benefit the company, when they begin hiring again.