Employees who are laid off hold your company’s reputation in their hands. How to get it right.
By Kirsten Davidson & Chris Ebbeler, Employera
The past few months have inundated us with the looming fears of an economic recession. While the news last week was mixed, it appears Fed interest rate increases are doing as expected to cool our overheated economy. Yet, with greater anxiety in consumer confidence comes the trigger effect of companies slowing their growth plans.
Major corporations have seen their share prices slashed by as much as 70%, leading to uncomfortable earnings calls, with announcements of slowing growth and layoffs. Tech companies started the retreat, with brands like Netflix, Shopify, Robinhood and Oracle laying off thousands. Consumer brands like Sweetgreen, Glossier, Warby Parker, and Beyond Meat have done the same.
From a career perspective, there are few things more devastating to people who have supported your brand’s growth for years than being laid off. Recent news stories show there’s a price to be paid by companies that ignore the emotional impact, or do nothing to soften the blow or actually help those affected by layoffs. The stories your employees tell will define your company’s reputation for years to come, so it’s well worth considering both how those affected will feel, and how your company should conduct itself at each step in the process.
How to get it right: Put your employee’s feelings at the center
Before going into press briefings, PR teams brainstorm the ideal headlines they’d like to see. They identify the spokespeople they want to tell the story and where they want it to show up. And they back the strategy up from there.
Consider taking a similar approach as you plan for layoffs. Have each person on your team draft the Glassdoor review they'd like to see. Think about how you’d like each person to feel and how even in this moment, then bring your Values and Employee Value Proposition to life by creating the sequence of events and the intentional experiences they need at each step.
Share and discuss what you wrote and design the experience you need to deliver. Take it a step further and journey map it. Then ensure your people (who), systems (what) and processes (how) are tuned to support the actions and experiences delivered at each step.
Put your people at the center. Use your Values and Employee Value Proposition as your guide as you design intentional experiences that leave everyone - those being laid off and those "left behind" (as well as your employer brand) emotionally intact.
Want an experience design perspective on an upcoming reduction in force? Or want to share ideas about employer branding or talent communications? Get in touch at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kzdavidson/.
Kirsten Davidson is managing partner, and Chris Ebbeler leads the social media practice at Employera, a consulting firm and agency that helps large employers attract, inspire and retain great talent through employer branding, experience design, recruitment marketing and internal communications.
About Employera
This is the Era of the Employee. Employera builds, promotes, and drives employer branding through all the touchpoints in the employee journey, from talent acquisition to alumni status. Our services include Employer Branding, Experience Design, Internal Communications and DE&I Communications. We work with some of the most dynamic companies in the world, from well-known global brands to mid-sized companies and hot startups. Employera’s senior leaders are at the top of their fields, and come from major global companies, consulting firms and academia. We’ve worked on the inside as function leaders, and on the outside as expert consultants in all the service lines we offer. Our diverse points of view create powerful ideas and practical bottom line impact.