The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

215: It's (Not) The Most Wonderful Time of the Year For Layoffs


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How a leader handles layoffs can have a major impact on the future success and reputation of their company. This episode takes a look at some of the recent layoffs that have made the news before breaking down five tips on how to handle layoffs during this time of year. It unpacks how Mark Zuckerberg handled the Meta layoffs differently from how Elon Musk handled the Twitter layoffs and what we can learn from both these situations. From managing expectations to supporting your employees, and ongoing communication, this episode will help you to mitigate unnecessary distress and protect your reputation in the unfortunate event of corporate downsizing. 


Key Points From This Episode:


  • Some of the companies that have been in the media for layoffs recently.
  • Why it’s so important to a company’s future success and reputation for its leader to handle a layoff well.
  • Today’s topic: How to handle layoffs during this time of year. 
  • The difference between how Mark Zuckerberg handled the Meta layoffs and how Elon Musk handled the Twitter layoffs.
  • Why, as a leader, you should be clear about the situation upfront. 
  • How to support both the employees who are being laid off and those who are staying.
  • Why this process should be followed whether you’re laying off many people or only a few.
  • The value of ongoing communication and updates.
  • How to manage expectations by answering questions.
  • The Indestructible PR® Tip for the day about framing the bad news. 


Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Molly's TikTok video about the Meta Layoffs 

"Mark Zuckerberg Said He Cut Meta Jobs Better Than Elon Musk"

Molly McPherson 

Indestructible: Reclaim Control and Respond with Confidence in a Media Crisis

Indestructible: Reclaim Control and Respond with Confidence in a Media Crisis - Audio Book

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