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6 secrets to surviving Christmas downsizing

The Silly Season isn’t just staff parties and holidays. Behind the scenes, HR Departments are forced into playing Scrooge, dealing with redundancies.December and January are the two months when most layoffs happen according to one of Australia’s foremost careers and outplacement expert, Greg Weiss.

In the spirit of Christmas giving, Greg has six tips for employers facing Silly Season layoffs.

1. Be nice

Sounds simple, but treating people how you want to be treated is key to successful downsizing. Almost 90 per cent of laid off staff will complain and moan about their former employer. *

Disgruntled ex-employees post to Seek and Glassdoor and others. Do you want that?

2. Be transparent

The more transparent you are, the less surprised people will be and the more creative many will become in helping the business improve.

3. Be honest

Be clear in your communications. Make sure employees know the business is doing everything it can to avoid further redundancies or retrenchments. Treat your departing employees with dignity and support, giving a clear signal to your remaining staff how they will be treated.

4. Listen

After a round of layoffs, remaining staff are often overwhelmed with extra work, This is further compounded by fear of repercussions if they speak up. By giving staff permission to vent, you can clear blockages and get on with business.

5. Be generous

Most employees are made redundant without a single shred of support to kick start their career. It makes good business sense to offer outplacement services. It gives departing employees a better chance of landing on their feet while reassuring current staff.

6. Be vigilant

Answer any adverse posts and comments as soon as possible. Never let negative feedback fester, or even worse, go viral. Employer review sites like Seek and Glassdoor actively encourage employees to review their employers. How will your business be rated?