Carry on Carrying on…
By: Anna Robinson
How to support employees left behind after layoffs
With continued reductions in force occurring across the tech sector in 2024, we are increasingly being asked by our partners, "How do we ensure we're focused enough on those who are carrying on with us, rather than those who are leaving?"
Most companies do a great job ensuring reductions are conducted in a sensitive way, with those being let go feeling supported.
But the harsh reality is, continued success depends on the performance, commitment, and culture of those left behind. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of employees retained after a layoff saw their productivity decline, 69% said that the quality of their company's product or service deteriorated, and 87% are less likely to recommend their organization as a great place to work.
“Our stress is greatest when uncertainty, not discomfort, is at its peak — and uncertainty is the calling card of change at work.”
So what should companies be doing to ensure they don't forget those who are carrying on?
The Four Pillars of Carrying on After a Layoff
TRUST: Deliver an authentic, vulnerable, and clear message to re-establish trust with remaining employees.
Share honestly why this ended up happening (market context, business strategy shifts, but also any mistakes the company made).
Acknowledge that it is painful for those left behind, having seen colleagues and often friends impacted by the change.
Detail what the company is doing differently going forward to avoid this happening again (but without making promises you can't keep).
Share any details on how those affected were supported through their transition.
Ensure consistency in messaging from all leaders – but without sounding canned – sharing vulnerably and authentically is the most important facet of building trust.
VISION. VISION. VISION: Repeat a crisp vision that engages people and provides a connection to something bigger.
It is human nature to want to feel part of something bigger - so over-invest in sharing the vision for the organization - why does it remain exciting to be here? (Being scared of a job market is not the reason you want people staying.)
You will have to repeat this multiple times, consistently, over time for people to hear it, believe it, and internalize it. A crisp message is easy to understand and repeat.
What does this mean the company will be doing differently to achieve the vision?
How does each person’s own work contribute to that vision?
Is there a greater sense of purpose to connect to?
UNDERSTAND & INVEST: Seek to understand what motivates your people, and invest in supporting them.
Understand what motivates your people. Do your managers understand the ambitions of their teams? Do they understand the personal boundaries/requirements of each team member? At Ceresa, we use a personal vision statement - “tell me what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” (from the Mary Oliver poem, The Summer Day). Imagine if you knew this answer for all of your team – this deeper level of connection can drive much greater joy amongst your employees and let you better support them.
Access to learning and growth opportunities remains a top priority for the vast majority of the workforce. Don’t just provide training in skills that make them productive – show your commitment by providing more holistic support that can help them grow. 41% of employees say they will leave their employer if they do not receive adequate access to learning.
Ceresa’s research shows alongside developing core skills, individuals are highly focused on getting help in navigating their career path – and women need additional help in this area – as they receive much less feedback on the career path than men today.
Ceresa works with companies across tech, retail, healthcare, and finance to do just this – providing coaching, mentoring, and leadership development resources at scale.
With a scaled-down team, it is also essential to keep an eye on workload – ensuring your remaining team does not burn out from an unbearable added workload.
ROLE-MODELS: Ensure leaders are prepared and intentional in setting the tone.
Leaders and managers set the tone for how people feel, and how the change is talked about throughout the organization. Each team member will hear much more from their direct supervisor than from the CEO.
Do your leaders and managers have support on how to be effective in their role?
Over invest in this group – helping them understand the overall message, strategy, and priorities – and working on their own leadership style. They are leading by example – whether intentional or not!
Leading by example requires having clear values, being intentional in living those values as leaders, checking in on how that is going, receiving feedback – and critically ensuring that you are rested enough and have enough resilience to show up as intended, over and over again. Below you can see how each of these components work together to Lead by Example effectively and authentically.
In conclusion, many companies are struggling to maintain morale, commitment and productivity amongst employees left behind after a layoff. The four most important pillars to focus on are establishing trust, repeating a consistent vision, providing support that employees care about, and ensuring leaders and managers are prepared to serve as effective role-models. Overall, this will help re-assure employees and help them understand what it means for them.
https://www.leadershipiq.com/blogs/leadershipiq/29062401-dont-expect-layoff-survivors-to-be-grateful
Ceresa research on proprietary data from 2000+ participants in Ceresa programs
About Ceresa:
Ceresa is a high impact, tech-based solution for world-class mentoring and leadership development, at scale. Grounded in research. Inclusive by design. Ceresa supports leading companies that are committed to supporting earlier career talent as well as rising executives - fixing the broken rung - including Walmart, Amazon and Blackstone.
For more information on how Ceresa can support you, through our leadership development programs and workshops, reach out to info@ceresa.com.
