Let’s say that your HR Director resigns unexpectedly. Or he or she goes on an unplanned leave of absence. What do you do?

As an HR professional or a senior member of an organization that has conducted a reduction in force (RIF), you are well aware that it is a lengthy, meticulous, and difficult process. So much time and energy is focused on ensuring due diligence, determining what positions may be affected, preparing severance packages, planning for the separation meetings…you get my drift. It’s easy to get so caught up in focusing on the details that affect the employees who will be leaving the organization that appropriate attention isn’t always given to the employees who remain with the organization. Layoff survivors often feel a range of emotions that your organization needs to be prepared for including guilt, anxiety, sadness, stress and anger. The side effects of an organizational restructuring can be physical, emotional and psychological to your employees. So how do you best manage the staff that will remain with your organization after announcing that you’ve just laid off members of their team?

Whether you are a manager or an HR professional, the following conversation probably sounds familiar to you:

If you ask any IT Director at virtually any company in America which website is most frequently accessed by their employees, they will all answer in unison: Facebook. Despite firewalling and preventative policy, social media has become ubiquitous and smart companies have learned to use it to their advantage while limiting risk.

What is employee engagement? As a consultant at Helios, I often hear my clients ask, “What is employee engagement?” Yes, it’s a phrase that Human Resources uses, but the term “engagement” is actually quite relatable to everyone if you think about it.

Do you have a message to deliver to your employees that may be tough for them to hear? How will you communicate the message in the most effective, genuine way? Sometimes it is necessary to deliver a message that will be difficult for your employees to hear, whether it is regarding negative financial reports, an acquisition, a change in leadership or even pending layoffs. How do you go about delivering this tough message?