The layoffs are coming.
“Seriously?”
Well, layoffs have been trending lately.
“Should I get my resume ready?”
Get your plan ready.
“My job hunting plan?”
Your layoff survival plan.
As of February 2023, major layoffs have been a frequent occurrence in the technology sector. Thousands of people have lost their jobs. Layoffs represent a double whammy: job losses and uncertainty among people who remain employed. At some technology companies, a cloud of gloom has settled overhead. For technology managers, who already have their hands full with technical, operational and people challenges, layoffs (and rumors of layoffs) add another hardship to manage through.
“So I was right. I should get my resume ready.”
Not so fast. As a manager, you need to be prepared with your layoff survival plan. Not just for the current uncertain economic times, but also for future downturns in the economy. Layoffs or not, managers should consistently plan ahead, preparing situational contingencies to help lead their teams through difficulties.
“I’m not worried. If there are layoffs, HR or my manager will guide me through the process.”
Sure. HR will provide guidance for you. Maybe your own manager will support you. That’s not good enough. You need to increase your level of preparedness for the well-being of your team and yourself. When a layoff occurs, as a line manager, you will be directly responsible for engaging your team members, listening to their concerns and easing their anxieties. Your mental and emotional health will be affected throughout the process. That’s why you need to have your layoff survival plan ready.
One question is going to be on the top of each team member’s mind: “Will I still have a job?”
Let’s set aside the business reasons for layoffs. Emotionally, layoffs are like vampires. Like a vampire, layoffs are cloaked in secrecy, hiding in the darkness, leading people to feel dread and fear as they wonder when the vampire will spring from the shadows, striking and causing destruction. People already deal with multiple, daily stressors in their personal lives. Layoffs add to the toil. While I made layoffs analogous to vampires, I won’t carry the analogy any further by suggesting that managers can solve the problem by driving a stake through the heart of a layoff. I’ve used symbolism to convey the negative emotional impact of layoffs, underscoring the importance of preparedness to help you lead your people and carry yourself through trying times.
“Wow. That’s a heavy lift. I don’t think I have what it takes to get through this kind of hardship.”
Of course, you do. Think of all the challenges you’ve led your team through over the years. That complicated upgrade. The lengthy outage. Uncertainty over integrations. A messy security breach. Regardless of the challenge, you’ve persevered. You’ve proven that you can rise to any occasion. You’ll do the same to lead your team through layoffs.
“I’m ready now. What do I need to do?”
Get ready to take care of the well-being of your team and yourself. Let’s write your layoff survival plan:
Prepare yourself mentally and emotionally
As a manager of people, your mental and emotional health will be strained by layoffs. You’re going to feel a range of emotions from anger to sadness, especially if you lose your team members or close colleagues. These emotions will impact your behavior. At some point, you’ll need to face your team to acknowledge the layoffs, either in a team meeting setting or in 1:1 meetings. Take some alone time to process your thoughts and feelings about the layoffs before you engage your team. Figure out what needs to be done to bolster your mental and emotional health going into that engagement. You’re preparing to exercise emotional regulation, managing your stress to stay calm and composed during the difficult conversations with your team.
Focus on team member well-being
Once you’ve prepared yourself mentally and emotionally, you’ll be ready to face your team. As the shock of the layoffs wears off, one question is going to be on the top of each team member’s mind: “Will I still have a job?” Team members are going to look to you for the answer. And this is one question for which there is no answer. You cannot guarantee job security. You cannot guarantee the company is finished with the layoffs. As a caring person, you’ll feel a strong desire to comfort people with reassurance. Because nobody wants to see people fear the loss of their jobs. That hurts. But you cannot make any promises about job security and that is a frustrating part of being a middle manager. You’d love to retain all of your team members; those decisions are way above your pay grade. There is one action you can take to help the well-being of your team members: Listen, listen, listen and listen some more. Acknowledge their sadness and anxiety and any other emotions or fears. To reiterate, do not make promises about the future. Be present for your team members and listen to them.
Move your team forward
Much like dealing with grief, we have to accept the loss of people and move on. Yeah. That’s hard. That’s reality though. It won’t be easy. Team members will be demoralized, even more so if they knew people who got laid off. Trust in management will be eroded, too. But the projects and tasks need to get done. As part of the recovery process, remind your team members to focus on things they can control, such as the work on their plates. Building this mindset, focusing on present actions, helps your team members to move forward. Lead by example, showing your team that you’re concentrating on the work on your own plate. Is your team overloaded with work due to the layoff? Say “No” to new work requests. That goes a long way in showing you care.
Take care of yourself
The plan ends just as it began: Take care of yourself. Yes, you! Many of us with a servant leader mindset put the well-being of our team members above our own wellness. While your commitment to your team is admirable, you cannot neglect your own wellness. After layoffs, you will be emotionally and mentally drained, engulfed by a wave of people’s anxieties, grief and fears. Step back, decompress and reflect. Deal with your own fears and anxieties. Reach out and get the support you need. Be practical, too. This is the time to update your resume and LinkedIn profile. Evaluate your current position and assess the risks of remaining in place. You may decide the time is right for you to move on to a new opportunity. That’s okay. Take care of you.
Conclusion
Layoffs are a painful part of economic downturns. Like vampires, layoffs bring out negative emotions. We can’t put a stake in a layoff, but we do have a stake in being prepared to help ensure the well-being of our teams and ourselves.