News of layoffs, foreclosures and bleak economic outlooks can really dampen a worker”™s day. The question of “who”™s next?” on the chopping block is on everyone”™s mind. Bruce Blackwell, managing partner at Career Strategies International Inc. in White Plains, offers some suggestions on dealing with anxiety in the office.
Q: How can employers improve morale and productivity in the workplace?
Blackwell: “”˜Survivor syndrome,”™ or the loss of morale and workplace efficiency among those who have retained their jobs during a downsizing, is a real and growing problem. Layoff survivors will be expected to fill the gaps created by their departed colleagues; this means more work, the need to learn new skills, to make changes in their routine and to make do with fewer resources. Some survivors will view this as an opportunity to grow professionally, while others will look at it as drudgery and exploitation. This latter group needs to be turned around quickly or malaise will spread.
“When a layoff occurs, survivors often feel that trust between employer and employee has been breached. Survivors will question the company”™s commitment to the work force, and the workers will start to reduce their commitment to the company. Survivors also feel disempowered, and that they have no control over their work or workplace. They feel alienated from management.
“There is also often a great deal of survivor anger when some of their colleagues, who were good workers and dedicated to the company, were let go through no fault of their own, and other, less popular or productive people, were kept on. There is a tendency to feel the cutbacks were all because of money and ”¦ profits ”“ which can be true ”¦ but just as often, cutbacks are about survival.
“There are several steps management can and should take to restore positive spirit to a company during a time of layoffs. I call these ”˜The Four C”™s: compassion, communication, collaboration, commitment.”™
“Show compassion for the displaced workers by providing a reasonable severance package and, if economically feasible, some sort of outplacement program to help them find new jobs. Communication is absolutely critical to restoring morale. Collaboration means getting the survivors to work together with management to implement the plan to restore profitability. The company needs to show its survivors that it has a commitment to their individual success. This means having one-on-one career development conversations between departmental managers and their employees. It means investing in training programs to enhance skills.”
The Web site is www.careerstrategiesinternational.com.
