National Stress Awareness Day – 5th November’08

18/02/2009

According to recent NI economy-based reports, unemployment will increase significantly over the next year as companies realize that the credit crisis is not going to abate and activity remains sluggish.

As National Stress Awareness Day falls this month, Sara McKinty, Managing Director of Sellick Partnership Northern Ireland, specialists in financial recruitment, addresses the best mechanisms to reduce managerial stress related to the possibility of having to downsize your workforce.

Sara McKinty offers the following advice to help increase productivity of staff that have retained their position, boost morale and maximize workplace trust:

Trust after Downsizing - You will need to work to restore trust which will be damaged significantly. First, recognize that people are experiencing a loss of their co-workers and will experience a range of emotions from anger and loss to guilt at having been chosen to remain within the company. It is important to be sympathetic to their position and facilitate the transition from the past to a new focus on the future.

Focus on Career Development and Building Self-Esteem - This is an excellent time for a career development discussion with each of the people who report to you. Identify the additional training, resources and support they feel they need, and provide it if possible. Trust will have been injured during a downsizing; staff must be assured of their value.

Your main goal should be to help people feel confident that they have the capacity to contribute, to grow and develop, and to master the changed work environment.

Communication – Being clear with staff about how any business has to adjust during an economic downturn is a must. All employees should be assured that management will use all resources available to devise a strategy to deal with the current situation and buffer direct impact on all individuals.

Reassurance - As budgets get tighter, staff morale and retention is more important than ever before, however training new members of staff and ensuring they are quickly integrated into the workforce is a cost that most companies would prefer to avoid. As a result, many recruiters are turning to teambuilding to get the best out of their employees.

Bringing a company together for a well-planned team-building day not only improves internal relations but can also provide employees with reassurance for the future. ‘Away days’ are the perfect time to present the strategy and motivate staff for the year ahead.