Big Tech Layoffs: How To Improve Employee Engagement At Work
The recent news about mass layoffs in giant technology companies is sure to instill fears in employees. While layoffs are itself a depressive event that the companies find it hard to manage, it is the post-layoff phase that they ought to give prominence. The following article talks about what the companies can do to enhance employee engagement at work after a mass layoff.
Impact of Company Layoffs
Layoffs are the usual resort for companies facing challenges like cost-cutting, mergers, financial troubles, global competition and recession. Organizations may periodically go through restructuring and have become accustomed to layoffs in an attempt to have a leaner and more agile workforce.
On the one hand, layoffs impact productivity and profitability because they affect employee engagement. On the other hand, layoffs cost the company years of training and development invested in employees, resulting in overloading the remaining workforce.
Furthermore, layoffs make customers wary of doing business with them and force them to associate with competitors, thus impacting the bottom line. Over and above these consequences, layoffs bring home the realization that job security is not always guaranteed, and according to studies, it can lead to a 31% increase in voluntary resignations.
It is easy to overlook the importance of performance management during and after the organizational restructuring. However, that would be a costly mistake in the long term as employees tend to experience low morale. This causes a decline in job satisfaction which in turn affects the performance. At this juncture, it becomes imperative that you pay more attention to employee performance and management. Using Synergita Perform, you can flawlessly manage employee performance with continuous engagement and 1:1 feedback.
Post-Layoff Employee Engagement and Performance Management
Employees go through anxiety, survivor’s guilt, and insecurity when they see their colleagues being laid off. They also experience a loss of faith in the organization, making them feel less committed to their work. Therefore, the first order of business is to help them understand and alleviate their uncertainties, and that responsibility falls on the leaders.
Leaders must step up to ensure that employees remain motivated and their work doesn’t suffer. While everyone’s workload may increase, including the leaders, staying strong at this time is imperative. Leaders must start by recognizing that life and work are connected, one impacting the other on many levels.
How To Improve Employee Engagement At Work Post-Layoff?
Let us discuss the best approach to ensure better employee engagement at work despite rising workloads and performance-based pressure.
Be Honest
In uncertain times, keeping employees oblivious to what is happening or why can be a huge misstep. They are already burdened with guilt and fear and need to know the rationale behind layoffs. As a leader, you must help employees understand the reasons for the layoff.
It would help if they are better informed about the layoff process and what was done to ease the pain for those who were let go – severance package, furloughs and prioritizing the hiring of the laid employees when things turned good, and other transition services. Employees will feel better knowing that layoffs were handled sensitively and fairly.
Be Transparent
Open communication is essential, even if such conversations are awkward. Procrastination will have a negative impact as the immediacy of layoffs is the foremost event that lingers in everyone’s minds. It is the time for trust and transparency. Team leaders must often engage with their team members to help them see where the organization stands and discuss the present crisis with empathy.
Such communication cannot be a one-time solution but must be consistent and frequent, even if it means adding fifteen minutes to their workday. Organizations must create a safe space for employees to process their feelings and take comfort in their leaders’ approachability.
Reorient Employee Focus
Don’t let employees remain mired in guilt and fear. A leader must know when to shift the focus from apathy to purpose. It would be an excellent time to re-examine performance management systems and organizational OKRs. This will reinforce the link between employee performance and objectives.
It is far too easy to plod along without purpose when the world around has been shaken up. But reminding them of their contribution and the value they bring to the organization can and will motivate them to get back on track.
Acknowledge The Impact of Fewer Resources
When there is a layoff, the tendency is to do more with less. The remaining employees often find themselves overworked and undervalued. Furthermore, they also face imminent burnout. The overall strategy must include these factors so that the organization can do away with all those low-level tasks or projects, keeping the focus only on the core projects that bring in the wins essential to survive the crisis.
While some may be motivated to take on additional work, it is not ideal or fair for the organization to overload any employee or team. Prioritizing the projects and redistributing workloads may be the answer.
Retain The Rewards and Recognition Program
While the rewards may need to fit in with the new budget, they are still a motivating factor. Employees value recognition, and employers cannot lose sight of their contribution despite the various changes caused by layoffs. Make sure to call out a good performance and reward them, even if it is in a limited fashion. Or, make a note of their work and the reward which you can fulfil when things improve.
Continue To Focus on Growth Culture
It doesn’t pay to overcompensate because of heavier workloads, in money, or lowered expectations. The need to hold your employees accountable cannot cease out of a misguided attempt to ease the tangential results of layoffs.
Overcoming challenges at work or in life must be seen as par for the course. Leaders can’t also slack off on opportunities for learning and development. Employee engagement increases when employees see employers invested in their growth.
A Strong Employee Value Proposition
Employee Value Proposition (EVP) has always been one of the best ways that companies use to attract prospective individuals and engage employees in the workplace. Apart from bonuses or reimbursements, a strong EVP is one of the finest assurances the employees can ever get from their company.
Final Word
While layoffs may be inevitable due to the COVID-19 pandemic, economic downturn or organizational restructuring, the companies need not lower existing employee performance or engagement. Using every possible method to keep employees on track and help them transition with support and encouragement is vital.
It is also the time for employers to keep an eye on the culture score and steer the organization through troubled times while remaining employee-focused. In addition to creating a lean workforce, it is a sound practice to leverage performance management solutions that enable continuous feedback, employee engagement, and consistent high performance.
