Redundancy is
now a common occurrence in all types of organisations.
If, as communications manager, you haven’t been
one of the casualties of clearance, you will most certainly
have a role in helping to restore the morale of those
who remain after HR has served the notices.
The cloud overhead
The workplace looks and feels different when people
leave. Those who remain may have mixed feelings of loss
for the valued co-workers who have gone and relief that
they managed to retain their own jobs. In some cases
the loss is instant, people are asked to leave immediately.
However, for those who are given time to serve a notice
period or look for another post internally, quite naturally,
they can feel unwanted, unvalued, depressed, angry or
cynical. They may want to talk to those around them
and share those emotions. It can lead to a poor working
atmosphere, as those who remain may well be sympathetic
but need to do their jobs and stay focused. Empty desks
and quiet offices may also have an effect on morale.
So what can the internal communications manager positively
do to influence the situation?
Put a plan in hand
The announcement of redundancies is usually kept confidential
until it is made public, so the IC manager may not be
included or involved in any planning. However, the strategy
for dealing with these situations must be developed
in advance as a contingency for if and when redundancy
occurs. Develop the strategy with the HR department
and ensure that the board and regional and local management
are aware of it and understand their roles.
Setting direction
Redundancy leaves a vacuum, which is best filled by
direction. Once the announcement is made, there is a
need to focus the workforce on where the company needs
to be, what will be achieved against the bigger plan
by making cuts at this stage. People need reassurance
that this is necessary. From the corporate centre, it
would be timely for new internal change initiatives
to be launched, news about new contracts to be released.
Regional and local management must be encouraged to
exercise their leadership qualities and talk to employees
about why the changes (redundancies) have been necessary
and avoid just sending out emails or memos.
The role of the communications manager
As the IC manager and the communication expert, you
need to be proactive in the contingency planning and
then active in promoting the support which people need
to repair morale and refocus on the way ahead. When
redundancy strikes and all around you are wringing their
hands in helplessness, remember active communication
is the key to getting over it quickly and the more face-to-face
the better.
Do you have a contingency plan? Need some expert help
putting one together? Saffron
House can help. Contact us to see how we can make
a difference.
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