Taking good care of staff - even when parting company

THE writing is on the wall. For the rest of this year, at least, businesses will continue to face challenges, and right-sizing or cost-management measures, whatever term one chooses to use, will be initiated. There will be job redundancies, and more will join the ranks of the unemployed. For many, it could very well mean losing their only source of livelihood that feeds the family and pays the mortgages.

Most times, when staff retrenchment is impending, HR will endeavour to redeploy employees occupying redundant job roles. Sometimes, this effort results in "saving" some employees, but most times, retrenchments are carried out as soon as the decision is made, and there is insufficient time to try to redeploy employees affected by the move.

This need not be the case if companies are pro-active in putting in place a career planning/management process.