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Helping Staff Recover After A Layoff

Helping Staff Recover After A Layoff

Layoffs are wrenching for companies in many ways.  First, there is the sobering reality that layoffs are necessary for the bottom line.  Next come the anguishing decisions about what areas to cut, followed by the unpleasant task of sharing the news.  No wonder company leaders want to wash their hands of this matter once they hand out the severance packages.

But ending it there isn't an effective strategy.  After all, you still have to manage the morale and productivity of remaining employees.  Here are five strategies for guiding workers through this tough time:

  1. Treat the departing well.  As you show employees the door, act respectfully.  The rest of the staff will be watching how you handle those who leave.  Keep in mind that these were their co-workers and perhaps their friends, not just names on a spreadsheet.  Also, don't demean ex-employees or imply that now that they're gone the company will thrive.
  2. Tell the truth.  Talk with workers about the business conditions that led to the layoff.  Don't sugercoat it in an attempt to avoid panicking employees.  If you've had layoffs before, they may be panicked before you break the news and they'll be sensitive to "spin."
  3. Let employees be open and honest.  Workers are going to feel shock at first, so acknowledge that it's a tough time for everyone.  Assure your staff they can air their concerns and no questions are off-limits.  Answer queries truthfully and succinctly.  Also, managers should meet with each of their direct reports privately to give everyone the chance to discuss concerns and the impact of the layoffs on the department.
  4. Help them deal with questions from the public.  Your workers interact with customers or the public, so arm them with appropriate responses to questions they're likely to get.  Be sure they know what, if any, information should stay in the company and what they can share with outsiders.  Also, let employees know whom to turn to if they can't handle queries.
  5. Move forward.  Layoffs are scary for workers, but an employer with no plan to change the current conditions is even scarier.  Communicate with your staff often about the steps your company is taking to correct the situation that led to layoffs and ask for their ideas on how to save money.  Having frequent conversations about this topic helps employees calm down and keeps this message top of mind.

Finally, share and celebrate incremental progress.  Highlighting early wins can help shift employees' mindset from stewing about the layoffs to focusing on the future.





Helping Staff Recover After A Layoff - To learn more about this author, visit Allison Grace's Website.

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Kim Castle
With nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website

George Ludwig
George Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website

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David Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns.  David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website

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Anne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website

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Dianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here.

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Stephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals.

She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com   Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences.  Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University.

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Allison Grace
(Visit Allison's Website) Allison Grace, CEBS, CCP, CMS, is President and Founder of Instant HR Solutions and a human resources professional with more than nineteen years of experience. As a consultant, Allison has worked with companies in various industries including hedge funds, technology, oil and gas development, recruiting and accounting. Combined with technical training and professional certifications, Allison’s practical experience includes working in all aspects of human resources to establish HR programs that support the strategic objectives of the business. Her extensive experience includes benefits, compensation, legal compliance, performance management, employee relations, recruiting and termination.

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