What do Twitter, Meta, Redfin and Zillow share in common? They’ve all laid off or announced plans to lay off employees. (For more information on company layoffs, this CNBC article is helpful.)
Given this recent turbulence in the tech sector, we thought it would be helpful to share some reminders about internal and external communications when planning for or reducing workforces.
Below are some reminders that we hope will be helpful.
- Develop a comprehensive plan. Your reduction in force (RIF) comms plan should address messaging, timing and outline all the steps you’ll take to communicate effectively and in a manner that is both respectful and compassionate. HR, legal and corporate communications leaders should collaborate on this document and share it with other leaders and board members for their input and thoughts.
- Outline your key messages. Messaging surrounding the reduction should focus on why you’re making the change. Laurie Tennant recently wrote in Harvard Business Review, “[Rationale] should be a clear, honest, and compelling explanation of why the RIF is necessary, including discussion of other options previously taken or rejected (e.g., furloughs, pay cuts, unpaid vacations, divestitures). Companies with a history and culture of openness about the state of the business will have an easier time getting employees to understand why action steps are required.” After explaining your rationale for the RIF, you should articulate what is being done for impacted employees.
- Prepare managers and role play if necessary. When leaders share the news, it’s important to show empathy for the people who are impacted. Practice avoiding language like this is difficult for me. We all know layoffs are challenging, but it’s far harder for the individuals losing their jobs so focus on their needs, not yours.
- Communicate in person if possible. When Twitter laid off 3,700 employees earlier this month, they did it over email. This was considered by most experts to be a huge mistake. In a story that aired on Marketplace, Michael Sturman, a professor of human resources management at Rutgers University, said, “It’s like breaking up in a relationship over text.” He thinks it’s much more effective to have a two-way conversation so people can ask questions. He added, “Companies should take the time for one-on-one meetings in person or over Zoom —even if that means doing thousands of them.”
- Don’t leave the remaining employees in the dark. Consider bringing remaining employees together for a virtual town hall to answer their questions. Making sure they don’t have unresolved questions is often vital in motivating those remaining.
Even a modicum of planning and direct, clear – and empathetic – communication will go a long way toward cushioning the blow of a layoff.
Other articles and resources on this topic:
- Layoffs Are Painful. But You Can Communicate Them Compassionately
- Layoffs and Communication: What NOT to Do
- Twitter’s messy layoffs show how not to communicate firings
- A Scripted Layoff