Archive for Boomer Layoffs
3 Tips for Dealing with Layoff Aftershocks
Posted by: | CommentsJust like its seismic counterpart, a large layoff can produce aftershocks with damaging results even after the main tremor has passed. If not anticipated and addressed proactively, the upheaval will damage the core workforce and harm productivity for months and years to come. Use these three tips to improve morale and workforce performance after a layoff.
- Re-recruit survivors
A layoff creates a climate of uncertainly. Approach survivors and let them know that they have an important part to play in the future of the business. You are counting on their business knowledge and experience to deal with the aftermath of layoff and move forward. Boomers, in particular, have the ability to mentor and transfer knowledge to other employees. - Practice active intra-company communication
Communicate the status of company progress and encourage employees in their efforts to contribute to a better future. This is a key step in engaging the workforce and generating productivity. - Use social media/social networking tools to engage external stakeholders
External stakeholders, including customers, shareholders, suppliers and the community, are vitally interested in how well things are moving forward. Negative rumors are an aftershock that can be successfully addressed by credible social media communication.
Handled Well, Layoffs Contribute to Effective Talent Management
Posted by: | CommentsLayoffs are a fact of organizational life. Whether driven by recession, restructuring or by the need to respond to marketplace dynamics, layoffs are inevitable. When they’re handled well, are based on sound business imperatives with an approach that manifests respect for those displaced and for those remaining in the workforce, layoffs can actually contribute to effective talent management, foster sustainable workforces and make it possible for businesses to prosper and evolve. When handled poorly, layoffs damage the corporate DNA and make those businesses less competitive.
A “well handled layoff” is characterized by an objective business requirement for a staffing reduction in a particular unit of a company or enterprise-wide. Thorough planning is crucial and should include an assessment of the essential skills needed for operational effectiveness during and post layoff. The generational composition of the workforce, before and after a downsizing, must be considered. If a disproportionate number of boomers are to be laid off, not only can the business can be placed at risk for age discrimination complaints, it can lose valuable intellectual capital and the ability to transfer knowledge to Gen X and Gen Y members of the workforce. Human capital is the most valuable asset a business has and the human resource professional has a fiduciary responsibility to optimize the management of this asset and this includes the retention of key boomer talent for post layoff business success.
HR’s Dirty Job: Layoffs
Posted by: | CommentsHR’s dirty job has to be laying off employees. Most HR professionals like to think of themselves as “builders” and enjoy laying the foundation for growth and development of their organizations and employees. Layoffs seem more like demolition and are, therefore, not a popular activity.
If you’ve ever watched Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel or checked out the companion website 10 High Paying Dirty Jobs, you’ve seen various jobs like crime scene cleaner, gastroenterologist and plumber profiled. You were at once fascinated and repelled by the unpleasant aspects of these jobs, yet never doubted the essential value, importance and social utility of these positions and related tasks.
And so it is with HR’s dirty job, handling layoffs. As an HR professional, you instinctively recognize that layoffs are normal part of the organizational lifecycle. You may also realize that, properly managed, layoffs can set the stage for business renewal and positive evolution. Rather than being repelled, you, your enterprise and employees are better served when you become skillful in carrying out layoffs. The opportunities for constructive contribution in that arena include building the organization’s employment brand and employee engagement.
Fortunately, you don’t have to go it alone. Resources like employment law attorneys, outplacement consultants and blogs like this one offering best practice information are available to help you greatly improve your prospects for success.
While layoffs may appear to be a dirty job, it is an essential activity that can yield beneficial results.
Legal Eye on Layoffs
Posted by: | CommentsThink that layoffs are getting easier just because they have become so commonplace in today’s economic environment? Think again! Layoffs present greater risks than ever for HR professionals and their organizations. Tamsen Leachman, who leads the Employment and Labor Law team at the firm of Dunn, Carney, Allen, Higgins and Tongue, makes a strong case. Tamsen’s passion for employment law was ignited by landmark civil rights legislation enacted while she was attending law school. Her focus and enthusiasm is apparent in the effectiveness and zeal with which she represents her clients. Click here for Tamsen’s bio.
Kit: What are the trends regarding complaints of discrimination triggered by layoffs of boomers?
Tamsen: Overall, complaints to the EEOC and state enforcement agencies are up and that includes allegations of employment discrimination on the basis of age. These agencies have stepped up enforcement now that they have more resources and staff available to investigate complaints. This spells higher risk for employers.
Kit: How should you go about selecting which employees to lay off?
Tamsen: Take a careful look at how you are currently structured, where you may be overstaffed. Break out job groups and decide which functions really matter to your business. It’s helpful to develop a matrix structured on the basis of employees’ skills sets, longevity, ability to absorb additional responsibilities and the like. Not only is this an essential tool for use in planning, it establishes your process as rational and based on objective business needs, not bias.
Kit: What’s an example of a key legal risk mitigation responsibility performed by HR during a layoff?
Tamsen: Among the many essential contributions HR professionals make is to assure the quality and integrity of the process. HR should monitor layoff implementation to make sure that it is done in conformance with the plan, that errors are quickly corrected before they rise to the level of serious exposure for the company.
Kit: Why should an employer consult an attorney before a layoff is conducted?
Tamsen: There are many reasons. One that is especially important is the creation of attorney-client privilege. Planning and implementation of RIFs requires open and honest dialog. The attorney is able to confidentially advise the employer based on complete information which the attorney-client privilege protects. Another example is that the attorney is able to alert the employer client of legal and regulatory developments that impact layoffs and how they are conducted. Having access to this information in advance of action by the employer is of great value to achieving a successful outcome. Further areas of assistance include a legal review of documentation needed including forms and releases that must be gathered to establish that layoff procedures are correctly performed.
Kit: What is the importance of the exit interview in the layoff process?
Tamsen: The exit interview can contribute a lot of useful information to the employer. Employees who are laid off offer information about perceptions of the layoff itself and the organizational climate that can have a significant bearing on how future events should be handled and many other aspects of the employment relationship. Questions posed to those departing the company should be open ended in order to get the best responses.
Kit: Thanks, Tamsen for providing members of our blog community with this essential information about a very risky HR activity.
Up In The Air
Posted by: | CommentsEveryone enjoys a good movie starring great actors. So it was that I went to Up In The Air wanting to be entertained. But I also had a special motive. As an outplacement/career transition professional, I was eager to see how the layoff and career transition process would be portrayed. The main character, played by George Clooney, travels the country firing employees of companies who are downsizing. “We are not swans. We’re sharks” he says. He lives out of a suitcase, savors collecting frequent flyer miles, rental car and hotel upgrades while plying his trade.
The nature of his work, travel schedule and barren personal life give new meaning to the term road warrior. Clooney’s representation of this work is extravagantly exaggerated and inaccurate. With reality in suspension, you might say it’s “up in the air”. Wilder still is a scheme by Cooney’s own employer to fire by remote, using web conferencing to streamline and save money on layoff notifications.
Reality doesn’t intrude on this film:
- Reality#1: Outplacement/career transition professionals don’t fire people, rather they meet with those laid off after notification. The goal is to to provide support, help them cope with a major career event and move on to the next chapter in their lives.
- Reality #2: The initial meeting with the client, though very important, is only a small part of the story. Even more significant is working with those temporarily displaced to develop and implement effective job search campaigns and go forward to new jobs or careers.
These are absent from the movie. In fairness, Up In The Air doesn’t claim to be a documentary. In fact, it’s called a comedy. As long as its grim humor, gross inaccuracies and ironic dialog are kept in perspective, it succeeds as entertainment.
Tough Times: Some Employers Adding to Employee Disengagement
Posted by: | CommentsQuestion for the week: Why do some organizations seem to create employee dissatisfaction and disengagement during tough economic times?
This question was inspired by an email I received from a friend who works for a large retailer. He related an incident where he and other IT professionals were called together for one of those post-layoff “pep rallies” for survivors. These remaining employees were told that they should be happy (read grateful) to still be employed, that they’d be expected to work longer hours to pick up the loads of those laid off. While my friend is glad that he’s employed and is giving maximum effort, the behavior of management has caused him and his co-workers to become profoundly disengaged. Read More→
Re-recruiting Your Employees
Posted by: | CommentsWith layoffs widespread and the specter of double-digit employment looming, you, as an employer, may think that you don’t need to worry about talent exiting your organization. Yet , that’s just what can happen if you don’t have a retention strategy in place.
While it’s true that many employees will focus on staying in place and be reluctant to jump ship during a recession, others, especially the most valuable members of your team, may do so if they feel taken for granted and unsure of their importance to your current and future plans. This is where re-recruiting comes in. This process should involve , among other things, an active campaign of communication. This can include sharing with them plans for the future and the opportunities that prospectively await them. This addresses the key question which may not be openly expressed: “What’s in it for me?” Such a communications process must be credible and repeated regularly in order to be effective.
My question to you, as an HR or Talent manager or professional, is: What are you and your organization doing to retain your most valuable talent through the business downturn? What are your best practices and what has been the positive impact?
