Managing employee layoffs: strategies and dismissal meeting procedures

Strategic Management

Strategies of Laying Off Employees

Step-by-step Process of Dismissal Meeting

Generally, a layoff is a reduction in employees to fulfill strategic needs of organizations or financial challenges. The reasons behind a layoff are the strategic issues being faced by organizations or financial issues necessitating drastic changes. Being at a management's position, it is important to understand the ways of coping the negative emotions that may accompany the layoff of an employee. For this reason, it is suggested for the manager to acknowledge that such feelings and emotional strain are normal and appropriate. It is recommended to realize that a layoff can create a profound feeling for employees and the entire organization (Bagley & Savage, 2009). This paper is providing the strategies for coping negative emotions fir laid off employees along with the ways of conducting dismissal meeting.

Step-by-step Process of Dismissal Meeting

In order to conduct the dismissal meeting, management should consider the selection of a private and uninterrupted location while making every effort to have all retained employees present at the meeting (Bagley & Savage, 2009). Following steps can be followed for the dismissal meeting for the layoff employees.

Step 1: At the meeting

Considering the conversation with the laid off employee, the manager can share the names of such employees or the laid employees can be permitted to inform their co-workers (Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1994).

Step 2: Handling reactions of employees

The manager should be prepared to handle the statements or questions from the employees (Analoui & Karami, 2003).

Step 3: Discuss next steps

It is appropriate to let employees know about the coming next few days and for this reason, communication is very important. Considering the nature of laid off employee's role, there can be certain immediate steps that may require management's attention (Bagley & Savage, 2009).

Conclusion

It can be concluded that the above discussion that the management should understand the layoff is the most unpleasant task to terminate the employee or employees. Undoubtedly, it can lead to the psychological and financial trauma for the employee let go. It can be concluded that the management should follow appropriate strategies to make the best decision for lying off employees from the organization. The paper also provides that the management should organize a meeting for announcing the dismissal of laid off employee or employees in strategic ways (Analoui & Karami, 2003; Barnett, Greve, & Park, 1994; Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1994).

Reference

Analoui, F., & Karami, A. (2003). Strategic Management in Small and Medium Enterprises. Cengage Learning EMEA.

Bagley, C.E., & Savage, D. (2009). Managers and the Legal Environment: Strategies for the 21st Century. Cengage Learning.

Barnett, W.P., Greve, H.R., & Park, D.Y. (1994). An Evolutionary Model of Organizational Performance. Strategic Management Journal, 15, 11 -- 28.

Bartlett, C.A., & Ghoshal, S. (1994). Changing the role of top management: beyond strategy to purpose. Harvard Business Review, 79-88.