As I logged into my computer that
morning, the anxiety began as usual. Since two employees had been laid off,
everyone was anticipating that their day was coming. I was chatting with my co
workers and preparing to get a cup of coffee, when my supervisor called me into
the back office. As I walked to the office, I was certain this was going to be
my last day at Access Personnel. Up to
this moment there had only been whispers about the financial difficulty the
company was facing. They had already asked me to work part time, which caused
me to lose my benefits. After an
employee resigned, they asked me to work full time again but without benefits.
This couldn’t be the same company that took everyone to the Bahamas and gave
out $1500 Christmas bonuses. After September
11th, it seemed that the temporary jobs business was going the way
of the eight track tape. And today it
looked as if I was my walking papers were being processed as I went to speak
with my supervisor.
My position was eliminated that
day. I was told that my salary was more than the amount of money I was
generating for the business. I accepted that excuse, but even after my
departure and subsequent departures of three or four others; I knew that the
business was not going to be around for much longer. The initial anxiety that I felt working in
that environment was based on a lack of communication from the managers and
supervisors in the company. In my opinion, if the higher ups were honest about
the state of the company the level of tension in the office would have been
reduced. Bad communication in a bad
economy is not good for employees or managers.
One of the roles of a manager in
the workplace is the ability to communicate with their employees. So it should
not come as surprise that an employee expects consistent communication
(Varelas, 2011). When there are difficulties in an organization, similar to
Access Personnel, important communication never comes from the proper
representative. Most of what I heard about the demise of my job was from the
office gossip(s). Everything there after became a he said, she said story. For
managers and companies to counteract the spreading of false information, the
truth needs to be revealed (Grinam-Nicholson, 2011). To be successful during a crisis
in the workplace transparency is required, according to Tangela Hall, HR
Generalist for USAA. The manager and
owners of Access Personnel followed none of these guidelines. The result was an anxiety, tension filled
office space where morale hit rock bottom.
Highly communicative and
collaborative work environments promote productivity and inspiration, but if
the communication skills are poor; employees lack enthusiasm (Writing,
2011). While working at Access, I was
not motivated to complete routine tasks because I was very unsure of my
position with the company and I wouldn’t be able to grow with a fledgling
company. Again my perception was based on observations, but not on solid facts.
If I had been given more pertinent
information, would my efforts have been greater? I believe so. I was employed at the company for more than
three years and was vested in my position.
By responding positively to the changes in my works status, I
illustrated the characteristics of a team player. But neither I nor others were
trusted with the truth about the company. Even though the information may not have been
uplifting, employees would prefer to be kept in the loop. It is important to make sure information about
sensitive subjects, such as layoffs, is communicated directly and clearly
(Janet B., 2010). If not the lack of confirmation will cause a decline in the
morale of employees.
In 2011, the economy is not as good
as the past, unemployment is at its highest and people are struggling to make
ends meet. Most employed people are
trying to retain their positions despite doing the work of three or four
others. Take these factors, add bad communication from managers to that
scenario and you have successfully created a hostile work environment. It is necessary to have a good communication
plan in times of dismay at the workplace.
Any successful communications plan starts with an explanation of
difficulties (Tamburi, 2009). This is an example of transparency in an
organization. Revealing what is
happening and how it may affect the employees allows all parties involved to
make decisions that will help them succeed knowing tough times may be ahead.
When I was laid off from Access, I was not looking for another job. I was
satisfied in my position and I was hoping to move up in the organization. If I had known about the difficulties, I
would have been looking for another job, but still willing to move toward
company improvement. An emphasis on the
new direction and what the organization may become will comfort current
employees (Tamburri, 2009). Instead of
watching their colleagues leave without any explanation, Access could have
spoken with the remaining employees to explain where the company was going. The
owners were very well aware of the plans they were making, but allowed the employees
to speculate about their futures. That was unfair, selfish and made for an
unproductive environment. To prevent
this from occurring in the future, there are a few strategies that can be
implemented to help communication in a bad economy.
Alastair Summerlee, President of
University of Guelph, launched the Rumour Mill to answer questions about things
circulating on campus. The way he handled communication while his organization
suffered a financial crisis was broken down into ten strategic steps covered in
University Affairs by Rosanna Tamburri.
- Communicate directly through a public forum
- Use other means to reinforce your message
- Spread the word through managers and administrators
- Use website to post videos of public forum
- Consider starting a blog
- Put a process into action
- Manage Expectations
- Provide regular updates
- Communicate with other stake holders
- Communicate with other governing bodies
