OFF-MUTE 🔈
💬 If everyone says there’s going to be a recession, there probably will be.
📉 Nearly 16,000 tech workers lost their jobs last month. This downward trend ignited from market volatility and global crises, and the signs are all pointing in the same direction as the S&P 500 dips in and out of bear market territory.
💥 A layoff is a crisis for every company. It doesn’t matter who you are or how big or small you are.
👀 And we’ve seen plenty of bad examples—from group Zoom layoffs to masses of rescinded job offers.
💛 No layoff goes “well,” but the impact can be gentler with a humane and responsive communications strategy.
🔮 If workforce reduction could become part of your future, here’s what you should think about now:
☑️ Get internal alignment. Your HR and comms leaders need to be on the same page. Together, create a thoughtful plan that includes internal messaging and a clear timeline.
☑️ Know your “why now.” You must be able to communicate the market conditions and the events that led you to this difficult decision.
☑️ Develop a (crisis) communications plan. Do you need to announce the layoffs publicly? No. But you do need to be ready to issue a statement. During the early days of a recession, layoff news is big…and newsworthy (hint: expect media inquiries). Write an external statement that simply explains what happened and why. Then ask yourself, did my statement bring up more questions that are currently unanswered? If “yes”, your statement needs work.
☑️ Plan for leaks. What you say and write internally could be shared externally. Be ready for a disgruntled employee to live-tweet a company meeting.
☑️ Act and speak like a human. The people affected are human beings. They will take it personally. Listen to your lawyers but don’t forget to use your own intuition about the words you choose to use in the moment. How the layoff goes down matters.
☑️ Pause celebratory posts. Were you just named a Best Place to Work? It’s not a good look to share this accolade after cutting your team. And it’s an even worse look to brag about revenue growth just months after the layoff. Pro tip: turn down the volume on promotional social media (and triple-check to make sure your content isn’t tone-deaf).
☑️ Get your (re)hiring priorities straight. While you’re at it – pull down open job listings from your website and other platforms if you’re not planning to hire any time soon.
☑️ Create a plan to rebuild. The hard work of renewing a sense of camaraderie and rebuilding team culture starts immediately after a layoff. Your employees are always your number one audience, but especially now. Focus on your internal communications and share your vision/plan for what’s next as you ride this out and adjust target business goals.
☑️ Avoid back-to-back layoffs. It’ll just spread more fear and uncertainty.
