I think I'm going to be expected to make 80% of my team redundant

[Dotsroses]

I manage a team of 22 people spread around five sites. Last year we had to shut one of the sites and there were several redundancies, all but one of which was managed on a voluntary basis. Several of the remaining team asked whether their jobs were secure and my manager and I assured them there were no plans to close any more sites or make anyone else redundant.

In recent weeks management have discussed the option of shutting all but one site and reducing the team to four, maybe five, people. I've been told that whatever the outcome of discussions, my position is safe. The closures aren't due to any failure of the team, but because of general financial uncertainty mainly related to the US situation.

They're a good team. Many of them have been working for the company for a decade or more: several are in their late 40s and 50s. I have strong relationships with at least half of them. They are good people. Our work has often required flexibility and ingenuity (particularly during Covid) and they have been great. This afternoon I'm due to attend a meeting where I think my worst suspicions will be confirmed. If it's handled anything like last time I'll be the one expected to make the announcement.

Has anyone here ever had to do this? What happened? How did you manage the situation? What do you say? What are the things to avoid doing? I'm absolutely dreading it.

Lots of good advice.

A key question will be if 20% of the jobs remain how will they be filled. Make sure you have the process tied down before you tell everyone.

Horrible situation to be in & I agree a script is a good idea, with a package showing them how the company can help and perhaps even a list of common questions and answers.
In regards to the 'I'm just a manager' response, could you perhaps say ' you gave your responses based on the knowledge you had available at the time'.

I'd be wary of this too.

What does it actually mean to 'reassure' somebody that their job is 'safe'? Safe until they retire? Safe for at least 10 years? What guarantees can there be?

Quite often, it just means that your job is safe until it isn't safe - which obviously means nothing at all.

There's no way they're going to want to keep paying you the same salary with 80% fewer reports. Your job will undoubtedly change - and they could deliberately change it significantly in such a way that you will be desperate to leave what your job has now become.

Do you have a good comms team? This is part of what I do for a living, equipping leaders with the narrative and preparing them ahead of business change.

As another who has been on the receiving end of this sort of news, I can add one practical thing you can do for your reports, or at least those you have a good relationship with. If you are permitted to, offer to write them a personal reference or endorse them on LinkedIn. These days, work references are often only a confirmation from a distant HR manager of dates worked, and having a reference from a line manager who is willing to recommend a direct report based on their skills and experience is a valuable thing when job seeking. Good luck with a horrible situation.

You need a script to read, ask them to let you read and questions can be asked at the end.

made sure script includes details that are known to reduce number of questions needed, such as -

why it’s happening
How the process will work, within the next 72 hrs I will have 1-2-1 meetings with each of you to explain the selection criteria, within x weeks we will ….. those affected will be told by X date, 48hrs later we will provide details of the redundancy package and calculations for impacted individuals etc.

what will happen with notice/gardening leave
we will send a copy of this statement to you after this meeting

have HR there and direct any redundancy process/HR question to them to answer correctly (that’s their job)

You sound like a compassionate empathetic manager, so I think your team are likely to see a personality shift and think something is up. People also notice closed door meetings and general dynamic changes, so they'll start to sense things. I guess just don't offer any false hope, if you hear of any big purchases being made like new houses / life changing holidays try to talk them out of it for a little while somehow.

Be clear when needed - when you said initially no other sites, as far as you KNEW at the time, that was the case but you've only just been told and absolutely gutted etc, people would appreciate the empathy.

You could try to push those who you don't think would retire into doing webinars/seminars/conferences/courses etc until then, or anything that could get them up with the latest tech if they've worked there for years to help them be more employable. Just don't give any false hope this is to help internal progression!

It’s horrific but nowhere near as bad as you think it will be.

Write a script for every meeting and stick to it. Plan the whole communications journey out at the start - every meeting invite, draft outcome letters if they are redeployed/no alternative is found and redundancy is unavoidable. Putting everything in writing orders your thoughts and helps the person receiving the news, plus documenting properly is a legal requirement but when you’re in the thick of it it’s a mountain to get through. Pre written drafts for every possible outcome helps.

Make sure you know their termination package in advance.

Don’t get upset. It’s their bad news not yours.