Managers need training on making redundancies

In my last blog, I mentioned an article I had been asked to write for The Training Journal on redundancy.  My dilemma was – what practical and positive tips can I give a training / HR team to prepare an organisation for major change when budgets are being scrutinised and morale is low?

I was thrilled to get an email from Elizabeth Smith, an L & D professional who has recently achieved her fellowship status of the CIPD.  She has some practical ideas of her own …

I read your article and my honest feedback on it is that it’s really good – very clear, pertinent and helpful, and I hope it gets disseminated more widely than the Training Journal readership!  I think your case study example is great.

I completely agree with your premise that there is a key HR/L&D role in ensuring that the management team is sufficiently trained and supported in handling the redundancies.  This is something that is too often overlooked.

The challenge is providing this training in both a timely and non-rushed fashion.  It’s probably not something that companies want to provide too pointedly until they actually have the need, and then often they don’t want too many people to know about things (often including managers) before the time of announcement!  I guess where there is a consultation period, then this can be used to train managers more openly, although it mustn’t be seen to be pre-empting the outcomes of the consultation.  Also, for the future, perhaps some coverage of this needs to go into general management training programmes – so handling redundancies is one of the potential situations managers are prepared for in advance, alongside disciplinaries, ill-health management, etc..

Your article also challenged my thinking around the situations in which strengths-based as opposed to competency-based thinking can be best applied.  Of course you are absolutely right that using a skills matrix and competency-based interviewing for selection purposes is necessary to be fair and legal in redundancy situations.

For more information on how best to prepare your management team to tackle the difficult issue of redundancies, read Katherine's article in The Training Journal, June 2009.

For a full free copy, you can email or call Katherine on 01780 484910 or visit www.recrion.co.uk/redundancy-case-study