Maintaining staff engagement when your business is doing well and expanding is one thing but maintaining it during a significant business slowdown is another. Evidence shows that just the suggestion of workforce reductions and changes to work organisation amongst colleagues can be detrimental to an employee’s experience of work. When there is the opportunity to grow and succeed, engaged employees are ready to take hold of the opportunity and strive to achieve it. Throughout recovery periods, engagement becomes even more vital, as organizations ask fewer people to do more.
Downsizing your work force, when done right, can have a positive effect on productivity and growth... However, when done inadequately, reducing your staff can result in prolonged and sustained damage to your business Staff reductions is something managers must do right.
Communication is a major key to maintaining staff engagement after downsizing. Managers should talk individually with remaining staff to let them know they are valued.
Employees need reassurance about their security. They need reassurance about why the people who were let go in the downsizing were chosen. They need reassurance about their future. Provide support and encouragement, and help them see that downsizing opens new opportunities and channels for promotion.
Take time to listen to your employees, give them an opportunity to speak up by holding a meeting where they can discuss their anxiety or negative feelings about the restructure. Ask them to suggest ways to improve costs, boost customer service, acquire new customers, or in creating advances to help the company survive the difficult period ahead.
Tell your employees the truth about layoffs. This will give the opportunity to gain some control over their future. Share with them some information that you have not previously shared. This will help to make employees feel like part of the business and help them to understand the big picture.
Cultivate a vision for the future. It is vital that people have a goal in their minds. Build team work and the mentality that everyone is in this together. Encourage group discussions where people can offer suggestions.
The morale and culture of your business will be negatively affected during layoffs. You will need to reinvent the work environment. You can do this by highlighting the vision of your business and talking about the culture and work environment you want to create post layoffs. Outline what needs to be done as a group to move towards this.
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