Downsizing: Don't forget your employees that stay

Downsizing: Don’t forget your employees that stay

The announcement is made, your employees who are being let go are notified, the job search and resume workshops have been scheduled. All is in order and now you can get back to business and move on. Not quite. If you haven’t considered any support for those employees who are staying with you, you may never get back to business as you envision, and moving on may prove elusive.

Oftentimes companies make the mistake of only providing resources for those people who will soon be former employees. The employees that stay, the continuing employees, need some attention as well. Even though they kept their jobs, many of their friends and colleagues did not. There may be negative feelings about who was asked to stay and who was asked to leave. There may be fear that this is only the beginning and they are next. During a change that includes downsizing, where there are “casualties”, people oftentimes go into “survival” mode – preparing for a long period of time where they will need to ensure their own “survival” in their jobs. “Great”, you think, “now maybe we can reach the levels of productivity we should. If people are worried they’ll work harder.” Ah, if only it were so.

Actually, the opposite is true. Rather than employees working harder, the opposite occurs and employees focus more on themselves and less on the work at hand. If these possibilities are not recognized and dealt with, a company will just have to wait for individuals to recover – on their time clock, not on yours. Your bottom line probably can’t afford this and it can be prevented, or at least minimized.

So what can a company do to ensure that those individuals who stay in the company continue to be productive, maybe even more productive? The answer can be quite individual but here are some generic options you can tailor to your situation.

Support Your Managers First

Managers are your first line of support when going through any change, but especially one that includes downsizing. Make sure they are schooled in how to interact effectively with both departing and continuing employees. It is easy to forget about one group or the other, but paying attention to both groups is important. Management basics become really important here – knowing the stages of change, handling resistance, working with “survivor” syndrome, dealing with denial – on both sides. It is also important that managers are clear about treating departing employees with as much dignity and respect as they can muster. How you treat those who leave has a direct affect on how your continuing employees react to the situation. Remember, it is the employee’s perception on treatment, not the actual treatment departing employees receive that affects them.

Hold a “Continuing Employee” Seminar

A common reaction to change that includes downsizing is for continuing employees to become isolated. Reviewing the stages of change and how the downsizing may affect continuing employees will help create more self-aware employees. Showing them they are not alone and that others may be having the same thoughts and feelings also helps them re-bond with their work group and the company. Managers can reinforce the concepts at departmental meetings and help individual employees work through any issues that arise.

Keep Your Finger on the Pulse

Utilize your Human Resource or Organization Development department, or engage outside individuals to seek out and speak with employees to identify any specific issues that may need attention from senior management. These “Check-Ins” can give you valuable information about what people are thinking and perceiving as you move the company forward.

Whatever you do during a change that includes a downsizing, don’t just think that everything will be just fine and all issues will go away. That won’t be the case unless you manage it. You might think that everything is going along as planned, but your business results won’t be as good as you hoped and your productivity won’t return to previous levels.

You could blame it on many things, but the cause will be your lack of attention to your continuing employees. Comparable attention will pay off, not only for your continuing employees but in their ability to move the organization forward as you had hoped.

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