Lucinda interviews Jill Aburrow from Heartfelt HR to discuss the challenging topic of managing redundancy. With nearly 30 years of HR experience, Jill specialises in advising on redundancy issues and has written a book called "Redundancy with Love."

They explore the importance of managing redundancy sensitively and positively, emphasising the need for clear communication, empathy, and support for both those being made redundant and the survivors.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Managing redundancy requires expecting unexpected reactions from employees. People may respond in various ways, such as bursting into tears, cheering, or feeling in denial. It is important to be prepared for different emotional responses.
• Managers should deliver the redundancy message with empathy and clarity. While it is essential to show understanding and support, it is equally important to provide concise and straightforward information about the situation. Avoid over-explaining or over-empathising, as it may distract from the main message.
• Redundancy communication should be done by managers, as they have a closer relationship with the affected employees. However, HR support should be available to provide guidance and assistance to managers during the process.
• Consultation and communication should not be limited to a single meeting. It is recommended to have multiple meetings to ensure that employees fully understand the situation and have the opportunity to ask questions. Follow-up in writing is also important to provide a reference for employees to refer back to.

BEST MOMENTS

"The most common reaction of all is denial, is people just don't accept that it's happening to them."

"The manager needs to have somewhere they can offload because it's really difficult to have these conversations and so a group of managers who are all doing it have a peer group where you can just go and talk about some of the reactions you've had or just offload it."

"It's a difficult balancing act to get the messaging right”

"The empathy is a difficult one as well because what you must steer clear of is trying to be too sympathetic and saying, isn't it awful? You know, this is terrible that you're going through this."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The HR Uprising Podcast | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher  

The HR Uprising LinkedIn Group

How to Prioritise Self-Care (The HR Uprising)

How To Be A Change Superhero - by Lucinda Carney

HR Uprising Mastermind - https://hruprising.com/mastermind/  

www.changesuperhero.com

www.hruprising.com           

Get your copy of How To Be A Change Superhero by emailing at [email protected]   
Heartfelt HR - https://www.heartfelthr.com/

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