If you’re in communications, sooner or later you’ll counsel leaders on how to communicate organization restructures, including layoffs. Be sure you’re ready to advocate for communication that’s authentic, transparent, and human.
The last-minute calendar invite pops up. You accept and learn that changes in staffing are planned—including reductions in force. And now the work begins. Here’s what to do:
Treat the information with care. That’s obvious. The rumor mill at most companies is in full force, and every closed-door meeting or scowl on the face of an executive adds to that. Leaks add to confusion and stress. Your rigor in keeping things confidential says a great deal about you and the communications profession.
Expect many moving parts. A typical process involves informing leadership and managers whose teams are affected, followed by notifications of individual employees, then teams losing colleagues, other colleagues who interact with them, and ultimately, the full company if appropriate. The timeline will be complex. And each touchpoint requires content—talking points, scripts, memos, and Q&A documents. In an ideal situation, you’re brought in early, when you have an opportunity to weigh in on audience needs, key messages, timing, scripting for meetings, and content for written communications. (Even if you aren’t brought in early, share your professional advice for each part of the strategy as soon as you’re in the loop.)
Define roles and responsibilities. Have a plan for who drafts, who reviews, and who has ultimate approval on all content. Spell out what falls within the scope of communications and what falls to human resources and to leadership.
Know your audiences. Defining each audience is critical. At a previous company, we closed a factory. When the communication plan came to me, they’d accounted for the audiences within that location—the leadership, the employees, the vendors, and external press. There was no plan to communicate to leadership at other locations and no plan for a company-wide message – meaning the rest of the company would likely find out through the grapevine or external media. We added an update for leadership at other sites, followed by a message to all employees to explain the rationale, the support for employees moving to other roles and those leaving the company. The result was greater respect for leadership’s transparency in sharing difficult news.
Be consistent. Every communication in the strategy, including the reactive or proactive media content must be aligned, which also means strict version control as decisions are made.
Advocate for authenticity and empathy. Leadership has likely been contemplating and negotiating these decisions for months. It’s not fresh news to them, and they may have lost sight of how the changes will be received. Speak up for your fellow employees. Make sure the communications are complete and thoughtful. Think through the questions that employees and managers will have—whether they are directly affected or not. Ensure people managers are well equipped with talking points and question/answer content and that they know who to contact for additional support.
Think about timing. In an ideal situation, conversations would happen individually with affected employees. That’s not always possible given the scope of changes, so companies send a mass email in advance of individual notifications. While you may not be able to avoid the stress of employees waiting for a call or follow-up email, keep it to a short window. A Friday afternoon notification telling people that announcements will be made on Monday means a weekend of anxiety for all your employees. (And, yes, it has been done.)
Pass the red-faced test. The leadership memo is the last piece of the puzzle—and the one by which your company is judged. Think back to the leaked memos you’ve seen in the news. Which ones pass the red-faced test? Write yours so it reflects your company’s leadership, values, and actions.
Communicating the difficult news of layoffs requires patience, empathy, and advocacy. Let me know if these tips are helpful or if there are others you’d add in the comments below.
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