Jack Welch and Suzy Welch impart some of their knowledge of human resource management via BusinessWeek.com, offering advice on how to deal with layoffs.
The husband-and-wife duo insist that layoffs are HR's "moment of truth" and advise that "...your company must show departing employees the same kind of attentiveness and dignity that was showered upon them when they entered. Layoffs are when HR proves its mettle and its worth, demonstrating whether a company really cares about its people."
The Welches say HR has to make sure that employees are let go by their managers rather than strangers, arguing that being laid off is dehumanizing enough without getting the news from a "hired gun".
"HR must ensure that managers accept their duty, which is to be in on the one conversation at work that must be personal. Pink slips should be delivered face to face, eyeball to eyeball," they say.
Another role of HR, according to the Welches, is to "absorb pain" in the aftermath of any layoffs: "In the hours and days after being let go, people need to vent, and it is HR's job to be completely available to console... to listen to the answer with an open heart, and when appropriate, offer to serve as a reference to prospective employers."
Jack and Suzy Welch end by asserting that, while HR matters enormously during good times, it defines you during the bad times.
Layoffs: HR's Moment of Truth
Jack and Suzy Welch, BusinessWeek.com, 11/03/09
