Layoffs Are Painful But You Can Communicate Them Compassionately

Large-scale layoffs, or reductions in force (RIFs), are, regrettably, a fact of life in business. More than 322,000 were announced by U.S.-based companies in 2021 and another 133,000 in the first half of 2022, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Nicole Tidei is a Vice President at Pinkston, a Washington D.C.-based full service branding, marketing and communications firm. Nearly 1,300 companies have announced mass layoffs this year, resulting in enormous job cuts. Layoffs reflect broader economic and job market instability, and while companies aren’t responsible for these conditions, they are responsible for communicating with and supporting their employees through these uncertainties. With more rounds of job cuts projected to come, business leaders must invest in proactive communication strategies that humanize the layoff process, preserve trust and safeguard their reputation.

Fewer than half of U.S. businesses report having a formal crisis communication plan, and 23% either don’t have one or are unsure if a plan exists. This lack of preparation yields poor communication that worsens difficult situations and burns bridges between companies and fired employees. As seen with the fired federal employees who went to work and were met with locked doors or those who were simply locked out of their work accounts, the complete lack of communication blindsided... This conveyed, intentionally or not, that they were expendable. While job cuts can be an uncomfortable process, I believe employees deserve to be met with respect and consideration when tough times call for layoffs.

The following are a few key steps that I’ve found essential in communicating about job cuts with respect. As many organizations are considering or implementing reductions in force or layoffs, HR leaders and HRBPs are tasked with helping managers prepare for these difficult conversations. This HBR article shares considerations for planning and implementing a communication plan —with compassion— when going through reductions/layoffs. One point made—and which has played out publicly over the last few weeks in a segment of organizations that have announced layoffs—is: “executives and managers too often underestimate the importance of clear, consistent communications... Without an effective communications plan that begins well in advance, a layoff or reduction can damage the company’s reputation and the well-being of both dismissed and retained employees. ” One section of the article provides a sequence of events that should be coordinated on the day of the announcement.

And with the increased utilization of hybrid work, several questions arise regarding how announcements are communicated, such as: can we effectively communicate compassion and sincerity remotely and engage with employees to understand their emotions... Action steps are provided to best address the added challenge of hybrid work and how to communicate these tough messages while demonstrating compassion. As many organizations are considering or implementing reductions in force or layoffs, HR leaders and HRBPs are tasked with helping managers prepare for these difficult conversations. This HBR article shares considerations for planning and implementing a communication plan —with compassion— when going through reductions/layoffs. One point made—and which has played out publicly over the last few weeks in a segment of organizations that have announced layoffs—is: “executives and managers too often underestimate the importance of clear, consistent communications... Without an effective communications plan that begins well in advance, a layoff or reduction can damage the company’s reputation and the well-being of both dismissed and retained employees.” One section of the article provides...

And with the increased utilization of hybrid work, several questions arise regarding how announcements are communicated, such as: can we effectively communicate compassion and sincerity remotely and engage with employees to understand their emotions... Action steps are provided to best address the added challenge of hybrid work and how to communicate these tough messages while demonstrating compassion. Want to stay informedabout Chief Human Resources Officer(CHRO) hires andpromotions? Become amember of CHROs on the Go. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed on brianheger.com are solely my own (Brian Heger) and those of the original authors and do not represent the views or opinions of my employer. It is great stuff for reading.

Thanks for sharing such an interesting blog. It’s a very helpful article. When it comes to the uncomfortable topic of layoffs, the research is clear: avoid layoffs where you can and take as long a strategic view as possible. Layoffs can have a highly detrimental impact on the culture of an organization by eroding trust, undermining shared values, and increasing negative employee behaviors. It is a traumatic event for the whole organization, and especially for the one being terminated. Yet there are times, like the current COVID-19 crisis, when layoffs may be the unfortunate and unavoidable reality for your organization.

How can you lead compassionately while carrying out such a painful agenda? Perhaps if you’ve ever been laid off, you still remember the emotions of that difficult moment, and can viscerally understand the magnitude of your colleagues’ pain. Allow these feelings of empathy to help guide you into compassionate action. To lead compassionately through layoffs requires an especially elevated sense of concern for your team members losing their job. This is not about you. And yet, the starting point for accomplishing this may seem counterintuitive: It is important to start with yourself.

Your ability to focus on your team members is dependent on your ability to engage from a grounded and anchored personal position. While these layoffs are much more difficult for your terminated colleagues, it is still difficult for you. Be willing to acknowledge your own discomfort in these circumstances. Acknowledging (to yourself only) that this is difficult for you strengthens your ability to acknowledge to your team members how difficult this is for them.

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