Boost Staff Morale and Productivity After Layoffs
Boosting staff morale following a layoff can be a daunting task for company executives, including chief information officers (CIOs). Corporate restructuring and layoffs are inevitable for many companies regardless of industry. Once the exercise is complete, the remaining staff need to stay engaged and productive.
Taking a proactive approach to reassure employees is an important step that helps restore trust and confidence. Communication between managers and the staff must be honest, sincere, and consistent. The failure to communicate with the workers may lead to low morale and the departure of skilled personnel.
Restructuring exercises should improve operational efficiency and make the business more competitive. For this reason, CIOs need to inform staff members that the decision to layoff employees revolves around the need to protect the business. Corporate leaders take a professional approach when making decisions, which may result in job losses.
Empathy
As a manager or chief information officer, you should empathize with the employees’ anxiety. Uncertainty makes workers jittery and they may lose focus. You should plan carefully to minimize a drop in staff retention and motivation. According to analysts at Gartner, most CIOs neglect to deal with the emotional setbacks triggered by layoffs.
Neglecting to handle the emotional toll of restructuring can backfire. You may notice a significant drop in engagement and productivity. Some highly skilled workers may leave the firm, thus creating gaps in talent. Effective planning can help prepare you for the challenges associated with low morale.
When done properly, the planning phase enables you to anticipate resistance and realign your priorities. Enlisting the help of internal influencers is a practical approach aimed at reassuring employees.
Prioritize actions
To boost employee morale, prioritize actions that yield results quickly with minimal difficulty. These actions should provide significant benefits for both the business and the emotional state of employees. Focusing on quick wins is a viable strategy aimed at boosting the confidence of your entire team following restructuring and layoffs.
Furthermore, you should provide space for employees to communicate their grievances. The feedback may raise awareness about specific issues that managers need to consider to re-ignite enthusiasm and restore workers’ trust. Dialogue allows you to identify unresolved issues that may lead to future resistance.
Focus your energy on fostering a team spirit by assigning tasks that require constant collaboration. It is vital to assign tasks based on the capabilities of the team members. Opt for projects that involve creating pragmatic solutions. As each team achieves the desired results offer well-chosen rewards to demonstrate management’s gratitude and appreciation for the team members’ efforts.
The combination of close collaboration, easy wins, and rewards can help reduce anxiety. In the end, employees are more likely to feel motivated and regain confidence. With time, you are sure to notice an improvement in engagement and productivity.
Recruit Influencers
Phillip Baumann who is the Chief Executive Officer at BoomTech Inc. in Boca Raton recommends enlisting the help of influencers. Doing so enables you to handle resistance more effectively. If implemented correctly, this strategy creates a link between staff and management. The ideal choice of an influencer is a highly respected team member capable of acting as your voice among the employees.
As you implement substantial changes to your organization, identify resistance and possible influences. Proceed to mitigate these two divergent forces by soliciting support from one of the stakeholders. By managing to garner support, it becomes easier to implement successful transformation that can contribute to the success of your business. Keep the information you gather during this stage updated and confidential.
Promote Professionalism
As the chief information officer, you must demonstrate professionalism. Your role is to support the corporate position and ensure that the entire team is pulling in the same direction. A professional approach eliminates the risk of making emotional decisions, which undermines pragmatism.
Experts at BoomTech Inc. in Boca Raton, FL, recommend that you take full responsibility for the hard facts associated with the restructuring and layoffs. Focus your attention on working closely with other executives to formulate a feasible recovery plan. Anticipate additional setbacks but remain resolute to achieve critical objectives.
Reconnect With The Employees
To reconnect with the employees, establish a support network that promotes two-way communication. It is vital to demonstrate sincerity in your interactions with the workers. Also, stay updated on new developments related to the support network. Adopt a proactive approach by responding or acting on the feedback presented by the staff members.
One of the best ways to deal with nagging issues is to host a question and answer session. The event allows disgruntled employees to express their opinions directly with the executives, including the chief information officer. Hosting the session provides the ideal opportunity to gauge the team’s sentiments.
Asking the workers to express themselves openly is a critical step in the post-layoff phase. You need to grasp the complexity of the situation and pay attention to the workers’ feedback. Acting on the feedback is a sign that you take employees’ concerns seriously. On another level, you should reflect on your state of mind to avoid clouding your judgment.
BoomTech Inc. Services
BoomTech is a reputable IT company in Boca Raton that offers a wide variety of services, including hardware and software management. Its team of experienced information technology professionals provide both onsite and remote assistance as part of the managed IT service. The vendor works with businesses in different sectors, including law firms and other service entities.
Phillip Baumann, the CEO at the firm, authored the book “Making Technology Work Like A Swiss Clock.” He believes in delivering results by handling projects using refined processes. In turn, clients find it easier to operate more efficiently and improve their competitiveness. BoomTech Inc. helps businesses minimize downtime and boost productivity by providing regular maintenance support.
The managed IT services are available at affordable prices. You can sign up for the IT support services by taking advantage of a contract designed to suit your tech needs. The team at BoomTech is responsive and friendly. You can count on the information technology specialists to respond urgently when you need technical assistance.
Categories
Hear from Philipp Baumann, owner and founder of BoomTech: