There’s No Easy Way to Do Layoffs, But There Is a Kind Way
Layoffs are brutal. Do it with kindness.
When conducting layoffs, it's crucial to demonstrate to people that your organization values its people. My first experience with layoffs occurred early in my career, at just 24 years old. The telecom company I worked for faced bankruptcy, leading to a significant restructuring and the layoff of hundreds of employees in a single day. Executives, department heads, and the HR team personally delivered the difficult news to those affected. I was given a stack of 11x17 envelopes and walked into a conference room with about 14 people, and instructed to deliver the message.
Over time, I've become an expert in the process of conducting layoffs, and would emphasize the importance of treating individuals with kindness and respect. Here are some recommendations for delivering challenging news with compassion:
🔸 Start with Empathy: Recognize the person is a colleague or even a friend. Try to avoid reading from scripted notes if possible. If individuals can't return to their workspace, clarify that it's for safety reasons, not due to any fault of their own.
🔸 Provide Resources: If you know the details of the severance plan, explain the important details - pay, benefits, next steps. Remember, this could be a shock, so they will not remember much of the conversation, so focus on the resources and whom to contact for assistance. Highlight important information such as their pay continuation, benefits duration, and available offboarding resources. Providing specific dates, like "your pay and benefits will continue through March 31st," can offer a sense of stability while they are processing the shock of losing their job "today".
🔸 Reassurance and Support: Make sure they know who to contact with questions, especially if they need to elect COBRA for benefits continuation, or sign and return a separation agreement in order to receive severance.
Being laid off can feel like you have lost your oxygen or been pushed off of a diving board into the ocean. Make sure people know that they have people and resources who are available to assist.
For the remaining team members, let them know it is ok to support those affected. During one layoff in the midst of the financial crisis in 2009, I was struck by the number of senior-level leaders who reached out to people who were let go. They passed along job openings, made introductions and even looked over people's resumes for them.
There was an incredible level of support for those affected, and it made a significant difference. It also helped maintain a strong professional network for all involved.
It's very likely you will be on one or both sides of a layoff in your career. You may not have control over how the company handles the layoff, but you decide how you deliver it.
