Customer Service in Layoffs
Layoffs are obviously things that every company would like to avoid, but many simply cannot. However, just like day-to-day operations, some companies handle what is essentially the same process of laying of an employee much different than others. A recent report released by a company called Telonu found that a majority of corporate layoffs were handled poorly. The company found out some interesting things:
- 88% of laid-off employees rate ‘how their layoff was handled’ as poor or very poor.
- 94% rate outplacement support as poor/very poor.
- 81% of those still employed perceive job security as poor or very poor.
- 74% of those still employed rate morale as poor/very poor.
These are both important and discouraging metrics. When companies layoff employees, they should be on their best and providing the best service possible. Layoffs can obviously seriously impact employees’ lives and brushing them off is a horrible thing to do from a customer service and “good business” perspective.
Actually laying people off is tricky. If you announce that that a person will be laid off in advance, they are going to become demotivated and hurt morale in the office. If you catch people by surprise, it will likely be more difficult and stressful for the employee to find another job. Employees who are about to be laid off should be treated with as much dignity as possible in all circumstances.
Once someone is actually laid off, providing better service is less tricky. The company should provide as much help as possible to the laid off employees. Provide them with some job training, access to some hiring experts who can help them with their resumes and job searches, and so on. The more help that can be provided, the better. Many of these things are standard practices in companies that really want to help their laid off employees. Some companies, however, don’t care and just send the employees out the door.
When a round of layoffs is complete, it is important to talk to the other employees and let them know what will happen. Common sense will tell you that layoffs are not good for morale and this report confirms just that. As a company, you need to do whatever you can to boost morale and let the still employed employees know they are valued and what will be happening in the future.
I’ve never been involved with a layoff, so my experience with them is admittedly quite limited. If you have, however, please leave a comment and let us know what worked well and what didn’t work well before, during, and after a layoff.