Smart Ideas
You can't fool 'em
Smart Business Pittsburgh | July 2000
If your company is contemplating a downsizing, it probably won't come as a shock to your employees.
A survey by outplacement consultant Lee Hecht Harrison reveals that 78 percent of downsized executives anticipated the restructuring of their companies, and 57 percent weren't surprised to find that they were among the ones to be laid off.
"This may be because many employees have become accustomed to downsizing and know what signs to look for," says Rebecca Sohn, the firm's senior vice president and general manager.
Sohn says employees may be getting more sophisticated in their ability to see job cuts coming. She says about one-third responded that they had been downsized before, and two-thirds said they had survived a previous downsizing with their most recent or prior employer.
About half had taken positive steps prior to downsizing to prepare for a job change. How to reach: Lee Hecht Harrison at www.lhh.com
