It’s never an easy decision to let members of your staff go, but depending on the state of your business, mass layoffs may have been the only way to survive. Now that you’re months into the future, you may find yourself itching to start hiring again after previous layoffs.
Recruiting and hiring after laying off a portion of your workforce puts you in an inconvenient situation. How do you execute a mass recruitment process when you had access to the employees you wanted just a few months ago?
Consider the Reason Layoffs were Necessary in the First Place
Understanding why the cutbacks were essential for your company in the first place is the first step in deciding whether to hire again. Suppose the reasons for the layoffs are legitimate. In that case, beginning your employment process again will not case your corporation in a bad light. The following circumstances are considered universally valid reasons for letting people go.
Think About if you Should be Hiring Again
Depending on why you had to lay off your workforce, it may be worth considering if you should even be hiring at all. For example, suppose automation was the reason for laying off your crew. It would be justifiable to hire someone to operate and maintain the tech. As a result, you’d be introducing an entirely new position (or a spin-off of an old position).
On the other hand, if a financial crisis was the culprit, plenty of thought should go into your next steps. Here are a few things to consider before opening up the avenues for recruitment.
Has there been a rise in the demand for your products or services? Is this demand projected to last for some time due to favorable market conditions?
If your answer to both of these questions is yes then it may be time to consider filling some positions. Analyze the market landscape to see where your company stands in the industry. If the estimations are favorable for some time to come, then hiring again should be on the table.
While employee cutbacks may be necessary for your business to survive, they should never come at a compromise to the skills essential for operation. Survival requires the company to be able to continue operating, even with fewer members of staff. You may need to hire for specific skillsets required to keep operations running smoothly. Additionally, employees that feel like they’re working too hard may be pushed to resign if something doesn’t change. So, you may have to support them with new hires.
Are there vital skills missing from your workforce since the layoffs occurred? Do your employees feel overworked or stretched too thin in their duties?
Carefully Consider What Positions You’d be Hiring For
If you are considering hiring again for a position that was part of recent layoffs, then proceed with caution. Laying someone off, then hiring in their role could result in complications. A former employee could seek legal counsel and sue for wrongful termination. It is generally advised to either
- wait more than six months before re-filling the position
- re-hire the previous employee who worked in the role
- have concrete proof that the layoff was unrelated to the employee.
So, what have we learned?
Although it’s a difficult decision to make, large-scale layoffs could be essential to the survival of your business. However, careful thought before hiring again after layoffs could mean the difference between stagnation and growth for your company. Even if you choose to hire again, be sure to proceed with the utmost caution, to avoid legal problems.
If you’re ready to start hiring again, start with a FREE job posting on Job\Searcher.
