Empathy in Management: Fostering Employee Wellness Amid Layoffs
Layoffs are making headlines every week. From big tech to startups, organizations of all sizes are reducing their workforce. The escalating news of an unstable corporate world is affecting employees at all levels everywhere, leaving those unaffected in defense mode.
Keeping employee morale during these testing economic times is crucial to have a productive workforce and maintaining your organization’s trajectory. Studies have shown that, after a layoff, employees experience a 41% decline in job satisfaction, a 36% decline in organizational commitment, and a 20% decline in job performance.
Regardless of your organization’s layoff status, news of global mass layoffs can affect everyone, not just the ones who were physically laid off. It is in critical times like these that you need to build reassurance and trust with your existing employees to maintain workplace homeostasis.
What efforts can you make to ensure your current employee base continues to excel in their work and be dedicated to the organization?
- Plan a company-wide meeting to address the reality. Reassure employees of company direction and create a safe space for them to ask questions. Be completely transparent to gain employee trust.
- Be gentle and generous: Allow employees to have one on one conversations with their direct manager or executives regarding their doubts and fear
- Focus a lot on employee retention by following the steps mentioned in our previous employee retention blog
While you can’t control the external circumstances, you can control how you help your employees through this trough. Let us know if you need a crafted communication plan specific to your needs.
