Leading Through Downsizing: Effective Layoff Notification and Survivor Communication Best Practices

No manager, owner or HR professional wants to face a reduction in force (RIF), but sometimes downsizing can't be avoided. When it happens, everyone involved in layoff notification needs to deliver the news clearly and respectfully.

How leaders handle layoff notifications affects the whole organization: the people whose roles are eliminated, the layoff survivors who stay, and your employer brand and overall brand. This 60-minute webinar prepares the people who will deliver notifications and the managers who will lead remaining teams, whether or not their department was directly affected.

You'll learn how to structure notification conversations, with a sample script, what to expect afterward, and how the RIF will change the way you manage and lead going forward.

• Describe what to expect when taking part in RIF notifications
• Structure layoff notification conversations using a sample script
• Decide how and when to communicate with layoff survivors
• Anticipate how a RIF will affect remaining employees
• Apply best practices to lead your team through a RIF and beyond

• What to expect when you are involved in RIF notifications
• Structuring layoff notification conversations, including a sample script
• How and when to communicate with layoff survivors
• How a RIF is likely to affect remaining employees
• Best practices for managing and leading through a RIF and beyond

Managers, HR professionals, business owners and others involved in a RIF, downsizing or restructuring need training before they notify affected employees. They must know how to structure these conversations and communicate with empathy, both with affected workers and with the survivors who remain.

The session suits HR professionals, managers, leaders, executives and business owners.

• HR professional
• Manager
• Leader
• Executive
• Business owner

Mary Gormandy White is managing director of MTI Business Solutions, a leading Gulf Coast-based corporate training/talent development firm working with clients throughout the United States. She specializes in training and consulting services related to HR, management, leadership, communication, team building, Everything DiSC, Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team, Six Sigma and more. Mary holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in Communication. Her certifications include Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and Everything DiSC Certified Trainer/Accredited Workplace Facilitator. Mary’s professional background includes extensive experience in management, HR, instructional design and communication. She is a frequent keynote speaker at conferences and association meetings nationwide.