Redundancy survivors - looking after those left behind.
Organisational restructure and redundancy has become so commonplace that an entire industry has emerged to mitigate the negative impact on those whose roles are made redundant. But are we doing enough to ensure we achieve what we are aiming for?
Organisational restructure provides a means to reduce costs and improve efficiency in attempt to increase the organisation's success and sustainability. But not all restructures are conducted equally. As with any human resource process, you could have the best operational efficiency process in the world, but if you forget the people in the process, the chances of success are slim to none. Many an organization has attempted a project of change to improve an organization's profitability only to find it fails. The missing link is your people.
Outplacement services are now commonly utilized by organizations as a way to buffer the effects of redundancy on those leaving the organization. Providing outplacement services to those who find themselves out of a job is not a legal requirement. Many organizations do however make an attempt to provide such services for a number of reasons. Morally it is a good thing to do. Offering a service that both supports them through the transition out of the workplace into the job market, and skills them in the job search process ensures they are equipped to manage the change. It also makes good business sense. Offering outplacement services shows to remaining employees and potential employees that you care about the people in the business. It also helps strengthen a positive brand perception in customers. When you care about your employees, you are more likely to care about your customers.
But what about those left behind? Research informs us that it is not just those whose roles have been made redundant that feel the effects of an organizational restructure. Organizational survivors , those who have retained their jobs through the restructuring process, also have a lot to cope with. This often includes:
- The loss of colleagues/friends
- Increased job insecurity
- Increased workloads
- New responsibilities that require new skills and/or different patterns of working
- New and often undefined team structures
In addition to the survivors, line managers are required to not only cope with the above themselves but are also charged picking up the pieces after a change and making that new team/structure work. Managers are required to be change managers, communications specialists, support networks and above all be resilient enough to paint a compelling vision of the future that engages and motivates people.
So what can be done? Key to effectively managing the change process for survivors as well as those who leave the organization is Communication, Input, Support/Training and Follow-through. Plan the restructure process as a change project. How will you communicate the proposed change? Letting people know what will happed, how it will happen and how it will affect them. Allow people input into the process and input into identifying what support they will receive. Support people through the process of change (outplacement services, coaching and resiliency workshops) and provide them with the training they need to be successful in the new roles/structures (team building and skills training). And ensure you follow-through in what you say you're going to do. Line managers should be provided with support as change agents and support resources.
By careful planning and implementation you can ensure the success of a restructure by more than chance.
Article written by Jennifer McGowan, Mendas Ltd
