Marianne Piña CMP CEO & LCA™.
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When I was a kid, I remember my dad coming home late at night and doing something different than usual. His face was full of worry and despair. Mama held his hand and rubbed her back and she said it was fine. He was laid off with no severance pay or outplacement services. This happened to him every 18-24 months. My father had a construction job, but when the project ended, so did his job.
Our experience was nothing special. The majority of families in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas community experienced regular or regular unemployment. Nearly all of us were immigrants from Mexico and Latin America striving for a better life and the American dream. I was sending Layoffs without job placement assistance put a lot of stress on entire families and communities.
Layoffs Harm Minorities and Minority Communities
Most of those affected by layoffs are still in frontline positions today.Pandemic Era Workforce Reduction (RIF) Actions Affect Frontline Workers and overseer, It results in a disproportionate impact on underrepresented groups. Working people, from call center workers and hospitality staff to manufacturing workers and home builders, often have limited retirement and lack support to change jobs or relocate. Because more people are being laid off. I have seen companies that demonstrate a commitment to their employees and to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), but they are laying off hundreds and thousands of employees, leaving vulnerable minorities behind. disproportionately impact families and communities.
Inclusion and business imperatives
Unfortunately, market forces, organizational performance, and strategic changes (that is, mergers) often result in layoffs. But how companies manage layoffs is important. Their actions are a litmus test for their values and level of commitment to people and his DEI. When layoffs are managed without support, it’s no surprise that employees’ positive perceptions of their employers decline.
For example, a blind survey of Snap employees found that 75% to 85% of employees said they would recommend working at Snap before the layoff cycle began. But after laying off 1,000 employees, only 30% of employees would recommend working at Snap. This is largely due to the lack of support his former and current Snap employees received during their career transition. If headcount reductions are not properly managed, the direct and indirect costs to employee engagement and company reputation can undermine performance in the years to come. And online forums like Glassdoor allow you to hear the opinions of employees at all levels, making your organization stronger or weaker based on how you are treated when you leave.
Whether you have 1 or 1,000 employees and need to deal with workforce reduction, here are three ways you can support departing employees while maintaining strong DEI standards.
1. Focus on value.
Company values are inherently important to organizational leaders. These values drive company culture through unpredictable challenges, support decision-making, and influence behavior to effectively address problems. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for layoffs to occur when company values aren’t aligned. Instead, you should follow the example of leaders like Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. In his letter to all employees, he set the right tone for the necessary layoffs by demonstrating honesty, empathy and transparency.
2. Be inclusive.
Unfortunately, the current mass layoffs are backing some companies’ DEI efforts. Massive tech layoffs, for example, hit women and Latino workers hardest. According to data from Revelio Labs Inc., “women and Latinx workers will account for 46.64% and 11.49% of technology layoffs from September to December 2022, respectively, with these segments each outperforming the industry as a whole. 39.09% and 9.96%.”
Layoffs can impact performance, culture, and diversity and equity efforts in the years to come, so a comprehensive re-employment transition must be made using a holistic lens. there is. Headcount reduction is just as important as attracting and retaining talent, and an organization that does not blindly focus on cost reduction at the expense of inclusion reassures stakeholders of her DEI commitment. I guess.
3. Communicate
Effective communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity and is essential to layoffs. Be prepared to deal with difficult questions, statements, and emotional reactions. Earn respect through open conversation. For example, Salesforce promised her 90 days no layoffs, and when it came time to implement a RIF, the departing employee understood why and appreciated the severance pay. Another great example is Discover CEO Roger Hochschild. In his 2020, he openly communicated that white-collar jobs are in jeopardy (registration required).
Diverse employees who are laid off often have fewer resources (requires a subscription) to survive the layoff economically. It also doesn’t have a very robust network of trusted experts and support systems. They need outplacement support, but often don’t get it. Diverse employees also have different situations. For example, many Latino employees live with extended families, making it less practical to move for a new job. They need support that is sensitive to their personal circumstances and their “cultural script.”
Employers who provide meaningful outplacement support to those affected by workforce cuts are fostering a positive employer brand while reducing litigation risk. And most importantly, employers are doing the right thing for those most vulnerable and adversely affected by layoffs. Trust me, survivors will notice, and what they’ll see will also help mitigate the impact on engagement and retention of force reductions.
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