With all the layoffs happening in the tech industry, fear of the unknown can be debilitating.

Do I have a job?

Should I be looking for a new role?

What happens if I get laid off?

There’s an immense amount of uncertainty.

While I don’t believe mass layoffs are necessary, I do believe productivity and ultimately profitability are important.

Not everyone should have a job just because they work at the company.

You have to show results in order to stay employed.

With that being said, we’re all humans.

A mass email to laid off staff is not the way to do it.

Neither is telling people layoffs will happen, but then not immediately letting those employees who are impacted know – they instead will be notified in the coming months.

So what is the right strategy?

My thought process is fairly simple: do the right thing that benefits everyone involved – not that being laid off is beneficial.

You don’t want your current employees to resent you based on your actions towards their former colleagues and friends.

It sets a precedent.

If you can do this to the people I’ve worked with for years, who have been loyal to the company, you would 100% do the same thing to any employee including me.

So why should I work hard for someone that will throw me to the side when things get tough?

The way to properly layoff employees is the following:

1. Set an all-hands meeting with everyone in the company letting them know there will be layoffs

2. Let everyone know they will be aware of the changes by the end of the day at the latest

3. Provide security: let everyone know that even though they will be laid off, they will have x amount of weeks or months to apply to internal roles and that employees laid off will be prioritized for roles vs. Employees with a current role.

4. If they’re unable to find a role internally, you will provide them with a great severance package – 4 months plus added months for the number of years employed at the company. Maybe one or two months for every year they’ve been with the company.

It doesn’t stop there.

5. If they can’t find a role internally, help them find one externally or within your current company’s network – partners, suppliers, friends, colleagues, clients, etc.

Connect them with former colleagues of your company to see how they can help.

This should be all-hands on deck for your organization to make sure you do everything you can to get them a new role.

Imagine the appreciation they would have towards the organization and the relief from your current staff that even if they are laid off, they’ll have the support of the organization.

6. Make sure the employees know they should be applying to your company even though they’ve been laid off.

They’re always welcome back.

It’s goodbye for now but not forever.

Obviously it’s easier said than done but in most cases, this should be the method moving forward.

Unless you’re bleeding money and going under, you should respect the people who have worked hard for your organization through compensation, gratitude, and support.

Just because everyone else is doing it a certain way doesn’t mean you have to.

Try being more compassionate and understanding of the impact it has on your employees.

That’s the best approach.

Be a decent person.