how HR can support employees through the emotional side of redundancy
understanding an employee’s reaction to redundancy
Redundancies can be a valuable tool in a company’s strategic planning process, but to effectively and efficiently manage layoffs, the emotional impact should be carefully considered. It’s not only the exiting employee who will be affected – those who survive the cull will also react to the situation.
Ultimately, the most important thing that any HR professional can do is place themselves in the shoes of the employee that is being let go. By doing this, there will be a better understanding of the emotions that an employee is battling with and the opportunity to plan an appropriate response.
Although redundancies can occur due to many reasons, and while every employee and every situation is unique, there are common reactions that many employees experience when immersed in the redundancy management process.
Just like the five stages of grief suffered during the loss of a loved one, an employee being made redundant will cycle through a number of clearly defined stages, albeit in a non-linear fashion. In short, you can’t anticipate the order or timescale of a reaction, but understanding the three main emotions involved is the first step to better understanding what can be done to help.
1. shock & confusion:
This is one of the first emotions that people feel, and it often leads to employees asking questions about their own performance and how it might have impacted their selection for redundancy. These questions can include:
- why am I being let go?
- what did I do wrong?
- why doesn’t my employer value me?
- why isn’t a different person being made redundant?
It is important to take the approach that redundancy is never directly the fault of an employee. There can be many different reasons for redundancies to occur, and even when restructuring is handled professionally, employees often feel that they are being let go due to their performance. Employers will continue attracting the best employees by ensuring that every redundancy is managed according to best practices.
2. feelings of worthlessness
The next emotion that employees often deal with is a feeling of worthlessness. This is especially true when an employee has been working the same job for many years. People forge deep connections with their workplaces and often feel like they become part of a work-family. Connections are made, and experience is gained through years of work, so being told that your services are no longer needed can be a bitter pill to swallow.
A feeling of worthlessness can easily and quickly creep in, making it hard for employees to focus on positive things and begin finding a new job. Helping employees by providing them with a career coach that can assist them in focussing their energy on positive thoughts and actions can reduce negative thoughts. In addition, a career coach can help employees to discover their next step and begin preparing them for a new role.
3. anger
It seems only natural that an employee that has dedicated many years to a company might feel a certain measure of anger towards the company when being made redundant. The frustrations that accompany not having a job make these feelings of anger worse and can often lead to a build-up of emotions. While some employees might choose to lash out at a manager or supervisor, others are often unable to channel their anger and instead internalize the emotion.
how managers can react appropriately
While anger is unavoidable when going through redundancy, managers can choose to prepare for this emotion and manage it accordingly. Some of the things that managers can do to reduce anger are:
- express empathy with the employee without commiserating
- clearly state the reasons for the redundancy
- place emphasis on the fact that the role is being eliminated and not the employee
Equipping managers with the necessary skills to handle redundancy and the emotions that follow is essential to ensuring that the process is as smooth as possible. Managers with specialized training will be able to give employees clear information and manage the reactions that follow being made redundant in a professional manner. Training also helps to make a difficult task somewhat easier for managers and can reduce the likelihood of extreme emotional reactions on either side.
how to help employees find a way forward
Understanding the emotional reactions of employees is one part of the equation. Still, managers also need to be able to provide employees with viable solutions that make it easier to process the loss of their job and move forward to a new opportunity. Services like executive outplacement programs and career and leadership coaching can both be invaluable in redundancy management.
allow employee to express their emotions
One of the most important things that HR can do is making sure that employees understand that it is completely acceptable to feel upset and afraid or unsure when being made redundant. After all, the person has just lost their job and a certain sense of security. By helping employees to express themselves in a calm and structured environment, extreme emotional reactions can often be avoided.
act as a sounding board
In addition to helping employees to land a new job, external career coaches can also act as a sounding board for employees to work through the many emotions that come with redundancy. Often, the first reaction when redundancy has occurred is to apply for a new job immediately, but this is not always a good idea. Career coaches can help employees navigate the different opportunities that become available because of losing a job.
In many cases, this might be the perfect time to change career direction or pursue other challenges which might have taken a backseat to the employee’s job. In short, career coaches can help employees to discover where they want to go next.
communicate clearly
Communication is especially important, and remaining employees should be fully informed about the process moving forward. It is also vital to ensure that employees understand that the company is successful and that there is no risk of them being let go. Most of all, employees should feel valued and wanted. This can be done by showing employees that the company cares about its employees and by living out stated values. In order for most companies to be successful, happy and satisfied employees are crucial.
take care of the survivors
It is important to remember that restructuring doesn’t just affect employees that have been let go. The process also affects employees that stay behind. Seeing colleagues being made redundant can create a feeling of insecurity amongst the remaining employees, which can lead to employees looking for new jobs. In addition, some employees may resent the company when the responsibilities of redundant staff are transferred to them. In general, restructuring and redundancies can negatively affect the morale of the remaining staff, and it is important to reinforce morale as soon as possible.
Some of the signs of a drop in morale include:
- distrust of senior staff such as supervisors and managers
- increased anxiety and the fear of being made redundant as well
- fear of expressing thoughts and opinions
- general lack of confidence and motivation
promote a return to normalcy
Returning to normalcy and re-establishing a sense of security and trust between employer and employees is an important task and something that must be done quickly to ensure that the company remains productive. This can be done by providing employees with resiliency training and through services such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAP). These programs help with counseling and reduce the effects of experiencing a restructuring. In addition, managers and supervisors should receive training on supporting the remaining employees.
utilizing redundancy management services
Redundancies are a reality of the modern business world and are often unavoidable. Fortunately, Randstad RiseSmart offers a suite of services to manage the process and the aftereffects. Investing in employees and helping them recover from being laid off improves your company’s reputation and ensures you always attract the best talent.