Redundancies is a process that nobody ever wants to manage. However, the issue always needs to be addressed rather than ignored and key steps need to be put in place to ensure damage is limited for the displaced employees, the company itself and the remaining employees.

The key stages are:

1. Apply good strategies around change management. Continuely monitor change, market trends, financial status and planning

2. Minimise redundancies but considering alternatives EG reduced working weeks, redeployment, temporary lay offs

3 Select the jobs and not the individuals that will be effected.

4. Communicate the news to the individuals and offer them time to reflect and come back with alternatives to redundancy

5. Identify a outplacement service provider. Many of these people will not be equipped to handle both the emotional and financial turmoil that goes with redundancy. Quite often those who have been made redundant may not have job searched for decades and need up to date support around their curriculum vitaes, how to interview and where to actually go to secure their next role

Mairead Griffin
Owner, Career Mentors