Survivors (Part 2)

And here’s a  response I got to my first post on this topic.

“I agree with you. I dislike the term “Survivor” myself and do not believe it reflects the proper status of this population. Furthermore, it dulls the true meaning of the term.
I also recognize that people have different coping mechanisms and variable timelines for action and reaction. That being said, what can HR do to ensure the remaining workforce is still motivated to take on more work (volume) while at the same time bidding farewell to friends and a 9-5 schedule?”

Here are a few suggestions. Use the ones that fit your business.
– Allow time to “grieve”. People will have an emotional reaction, acknowledge it.
– Do not pretend that their friends and co-workers never existed.
– Never tell those remaining that they should be happy to have a job. They’re not happy right now. Grateful perhaps, but don’t tell them to be happy. Managers should be grateful they’re showing up every day and picking up the slack. Show them you’re grateful by doing whatever you can for them.
– Allow for lateral growth. Take advantage of this upheaval to move people around, but don’t do it without asking them.
– Talk to your people, find out what they’re interested in doing and if possible, let them do it.
and finally…
– Communicate with your staff. Speak honestly about what you’ve all gone through, staff, managers and HR. Re-focus everyone on the task at hand so the company can return to a growth rather than cutting mode. You can’t over-communicate at a time like this. One of the worst things management can do is hide away in their offices. This only feeds the “who’s next?” rumor mill.

Your thoughts?