What to do when layoffs are coming

For Max Moody, having to conduct layoffs—on top of planning his best friend’s wedding, and maybe even falling in love with a former enemy—was the final straw to throw the HR pro into an emotional tailspin.

Moody may be a fictional character in Sidney Karger’s Best Men, but the situation in which he finds himself is likely all too familiar to many real-life HR pros, like Jessye Kass Karlin.

In April 2017, while working as a manager at a nonprofit, Karlin learned of impending layoffs. She was asked to keep the information to herself and carried the burden for five months, even though the cuts would affect several of her colleagues, including two direct reports.

Karlin, who’s now a fractional HR consultant, shared with HR Brew how she navigated this time in her career, and her advice to those in similar situations.

What Karlin did. After processing her emotions, Karlin said she weighed the pros and cons of warning her employees of layoffs. Knowing that she’d likely be fired for sharing that information, she decided to spend those five months investing more than usual in her employees’ career development.

“I just made sure that wasn’t something that was skipped in a busy week anymore, and really tried to help send them to trainings, and whatever I could in those months that sat with my conscience better,” Karlin said.

What HR can do better. HR pros should encourage employees to set aside time each week to track their accomplishments, Karlin said. Doing so can help prepare them to navigate a layoff, or even position themselves for internal promotions and external opportunities.

While HR may not be able to prevent layoffs, she recommended that companies offer affected employees outplacement services, as well as advanced notice—maybe not five months’ worth, but more than just “the day before,” she said. And the more information about the decision, the better.

“Have honest conversations with your team about this is what we are thinking, and here’s why we’re thinking it, and we understand this might be upsetting and frustrating,” she said. “You have to be thoughtful about not getting yourself in any legal trouble and not saying too much, but being able to empathize is the human part of HR that can sometimes get lost in stressful situations.”