Having Honest Conversations At Work Post-Layoff
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If you're a manager or senior leader, did your stomach just clench up reading the title of this article?
It's ok, I don't blame you.
Layoffs suck - plain and simple. Being part of one, having to facilitate one (HR folks, my heart goes out to you), or remaining after one's occurred - they're all bad. I've been through them myself, before I was self-employed. 0 stars, do not recommend.
Layoffs happen for SO many reasons. Some are reasonable, some are totally unreasonable and avoidable.
In the aftermath of layoffs, the atmosphere at work (in person or virtually) usually feels uncertain, volatile, psychologically unsafe, and 384 other ways that I don't have time to list in this article.
As a leader, when you speak to your team or an entire company after a layoff, it's like looking at people standing at a cliff's edge, hoping you will throw them a rope - one they might not fully trust will save them.
As leaders, managers, or company owners, you hold a position of influence and leadership that enables you to guide these conversations. That's why having honest discussions about how people are feeling after a layoff is a non-negotiable. What are people supposed to do with those big feelings during the workweek? Shove them down until they become ulcers? No, thank you, for so many reasons.
Even if these conversations do happen, we need to realistically set expectations and boundaries around that process, like the following:
Can you make everyone feel better & is it your responsibility to? No
Is having honest conversations important so the company can acknowledge what's happened, talk about the impact, address concerns, and focus on how to realistically and constructively navigate the next steps? YES
Is this article THE ANSWER? No. No article or resource is.
So, let's talk about some best practices to get you through, hopefully help take the edge off, and take a look at:
Why leadership role modeling matters post-layoff
Ways you can navigate these conversations
Solutions you can offer to your teams on how to navigate these changes for themselves. And, why having open, honest talks post-layoffs is a non-negotiable in any company's survival kit.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Transparency is about having clarity
Layoffs send ripples through an organization like a comet landing on Earth. People feel it.
Employees understandably worry about their job security and increased workload for the survivors of layoffs (queue Survivor's Guilt and 'when is the other shoe going to drop' vibes).
Survivors of a layoff are like survivors of a shipwreck. The boat sank, but they're there, bobbing in the ocean, wondering what to do next.
Morale matters, and post-layoff, a "Hey, this is what happened, here's why, it sucks, and here's how we can move through this together," goes a long way.
IS HAVING REALLY HONEST CONVERSATIONS POST-LAYOFF A GOOD IDEA?
Yes, this is a rhetorical question. Yes, I had to ask it.
There are plenty of reasonable liability-related fears that people have. Or even, and these are not my favorite, conversations they just prefer not to have. They might be asking themselves, "What's the point of talking about this? We just need to move on."
Well, in the aftermath of layoffs, silence is NOT golden. Here’s why:
Clarity Amidst Chaos: Layoffs stir up a tornado of rumors. Conversations dissipate the funnel.
Humanizing the Issue: Behind every layoff statistic is a person with bills to pay. Conversations remind us that we're dealing with people, not just numbers on a balance sheet.
Rebuilding Trust: Layoffs can seriously damage the foundation of trust in a company. Honest conversations are the first bricks in rebuilding it. And trust me; your team can smell corporate double-speak from a mile away. Not addressing the elephant in the room can make employees feel like they're not important enough to be kept in the loop.
Mounting Anxiety: Anxious anticipation can quickly become the new office 'anthem'.
Disengagement Galore: Apathy. When employees feel unheard and uninformed, they might start updating their resumes and moving on to organizations that will treat them with the respect they feel they deserve.
HOW TO HAVE HELPFUL CONVERSATIONS after a layoff
THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP ROLE MODELING
Set the Tone: If leaders avoid the topic or sugarcoat it, that will either 1. Become the expectations (building quiet resentment and fear) or 2. Cause conversations to erupt in a way that's helpful for no one. Leaders need to set the tone for open, honest discussions.
Show How It's Impacted You, Too: Be honest about what it's been like for you, too! Pretending you're unaffected can make you seem dispassionate, disingenuous, or lacking empathy. As a leader, be open and share how you've been impacted. This humanizes you in your team's eyes and fosters an environment of honesty.
Encourage Dialogue - And Take Part In It Too: Make it explicitly clear that it's okay to voice concerns about the future, and you can share yours too. It’s giving everyone permission to say what they're worried about instead of creating their own 'Pick Your Own Adventure' of what could come down the pipeline.
FOCUS ON HONESTY
Transparency is Key: Transparency about the company's situation, reasons for layoffs, and the way forward is what people deserve, period.
Set Realistic Expectations: Be honest about the challenges but also provide a glimpse of how you're hoping things will improve while acknowledging the peaks and valleys along the way.
Communicate Future Plans: Assure your team about the organization's future plans and how their roles contribute to it. Clarity about the way forward can reduce anxiety and fear of the unknown.
FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH at work
Acknowledge the Grief: Not to be too dark, but layoffs are like a corporate funeral. Allow people to grieve. Maybe they lost a colleague or a close friend at work. Let people mourn the change.
Encourage Emotional Expression: Emotions are like volcano eruptions - they're better out than in. Allow your team to share how they're feeling and validate those emotions. Sometimes a good vent or a rant is all that's needed.
Create a Psychologically Safe Space: Make sure your employees feel actually safe expressing their concerns, fears, and frustrations. An open-door policy or scheduled team check-ins can create this space for emotional ventilation.
Provide Supportive Resources: Make sure employees are aware of your Employee Assistance Program and company's behavioral health benefits and counseling services. Sometimes an objective professionally trained ear can help people navigate how they're feeling post-lay-off.
let’s treat post-layoff conversations differently - BECAUSE WE KNOW BETTER
Layoffs have always happened and will unfortunately continue to.
The aftermath of layoffs is a delicate and challenging period for everyone at a company. Demonstrate your company's commitment to addressing all stages of a layoff, even if it's uncomfortable. Because it's the right, and necessary, thing to do.
Providing not only resources, but also the opportunity for honest dialogue, allows employees to express their fears, uncertainties, and anxieties, and hopefully re-establishing a foundation of trust.
Need to book a fireside interview or team session about how to realistically navigate uncertainty post-layoff? Contact Melissa here to discuss options.
