Advice for Delivering Bad News to Employees

Whether it’s layoffs, lower-than-expected sales, or dealing with poor performance, the last thing you want to do as a manager is deliver bad news to your staff. And yet, as one of the leading staffing services firms in Miami, Future Force knows how you approach this challenging situation can be a defining moment in your career, so it’s vital you handle it with professionalism. Here’s how:

Don’t Procrastinate

You might be tempted to run from the problem or to avoid it until the absolute last possible minute, but the quicker you address it with employees, the better. If you don’t the rumor mill will only get kicked into high gear, causing severe damage to morale and productivity, not to mention a sense of panic among your staff.

Understand it’s normal to feel uncomfortable with having to deal with bad news. But, as the boss, you need to treat the situation like a Band-Aid and just rip it off as quickly as possible.

Communicate Effectively

Don’t build up the announcement with loaded statements ahead of time; you’ll simply stress your staff out. Also, when you do address your staff, don’t be vague or short on details. Get into specifics by talking about the problem, explain the solutions for both the short and long term, and most importantly, let your employees know how it impacts them directly.

Give them time to ask you questions and answer them as directly and honestly as possible. Repeat this cycle on a regular basis until the crisis is over. This is no time for humor or for trying to lighten the situation.

Be Empathetic

You don’t need to turn the situation into a group sob fest, but do acknowledge that employees have feelings and may get upset. That said, don’t try to patronize them by saying things like “I know how you feel,” or “I know this is painful,” especially when you’re talking layoffs. But you can share your own feelings and send the message that you do care.

Own Decisions In Person

Don’t ever deliver bad news via email to your staff – which happens more often than you’d think. They deserve to hear it from you directly, in person. Don’t duck responsibility either by having, for instance, a consultant you hired make the announcements. You’re the boss; it’s your job to address your team directly in difficult situations.

Depending on your company’s size, you may want to break employees into small groups, address everyone at once, or do it on an individual basis. It’s up to you; but the point is you need to meet with your staff, look into their eyes and speak to them directly.

If one of your biggest challenges right now relates to staffing and you’d like help, call Future Force. As one of the leading staffing services firms in Miami, we can take the hassle out of hiring for you, so you get someone with the right skills and training for the job. Contact Future Force today to learn more.