Tough times reveal the true colors of any organization. Organizations are going ahead and laying off employees. But this is not the right approach. Rather organizations should work together with the employees to find a solution to the problems. Problems are temporary and these too shall pass. It is how the employees are treated during the time of crisis that will affect the organization for time to come.
Some organizations have been making extraordinary efforts like making a 3 day work week, x% reduction in salary, management taking a hit on the salary for a particular period of time, etc. Every organization should give choice to the employees if they want to stay with them with a reduction in salary.
To take a recent example, some organizations have gone a step ahead and the management has decided to cut their pay to zero as a part of their strategy to mitigate the effect of the novel coronavirus. Some CEOs have even decided to give up their pay for the rest of the year to help their employees in this pandemic. Why can’t all leaders think like this?
Yes, it is business and if the organization is not making profits then layoff and termination are bound to happen. But it is during such tough times, how an organization stands by its employees will decide the fate of the organization in the years to come. It is always easy to be good when times are good. The challenge is being good when times are tough.
Below are some of the pointers that leaders and organizations should consider in tough times:
Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
Show empathy towards the employees. Show them that you genuinely care for them. Make all efforts possible to help the employees sustain these tough times. This will help the organization in the long run and help build a culture of growth and development. These tough times will help test if the organization stands by its corporate values and beliefs. Always value your employees and put them as a priority. During termination show empathy and do everything possible to support the employees.
This too shall pass
 Do not focus on short term goals. Do not be reactive. A layoff is not the solution to the problem. Think long term, do we have enough manpower once we are up and running again. Do we still have the required skill set? Organizations may realize that they need those great and loyal employees back once the economy gets back to normal. With a 2 – months or 3-months or 4-month lockdown organizations are going ahead with a layoff. But layoffs are always a short-term solution and will impact the long term goals of the organization.
For any organization, layoff should not be a crisis management strategy. Cost-cutting by cutting the people in the organization is not the right idea. The organization will end up losing the intellectual resources. Thus, losing the competitive edge in the organization.
Employees are the branches of the tree that makes up the organization. They are the best brand ambassadors. Treat them with respect. Demonstrate that you value them and in return, the organization will earn loyalty.
So, treat your people right, because that will determine the future of your organization.
Written & Compiled by Faber Mayuri
