By Kimberly Kafafian

Have you heard the latest HR buzzword: quiet cutting? Although not an original concept, this HR strategy has taken on a new name in light of the quiet quitting trend. 

What Is Quiet Cutting?

A recent Wall Street Journal article defined quiet cutting as notifying employees of reassignment rather than termination. The theory behind the strategy is rather than laying workers off, you reassign them to another position hoping that they will quit. Why do this instead of simply terminating them? Because the powers that be believe it is cheaper to get someone to leave on their own rather than lay them off and have to pay severance or higher unemployment rates associated with anticipated future layoffs. 

Typically these quiet reassignments often put workers in lower roles, which come with lower pay and more responsibilities. Gaining traction as a restructuring move, reassignments have tripled from August 2022 through August 2023. 

The Downfalls of Quiet Cutting

Although it could be viewed as a way to cut costs, quiet cutting is a dangerous HR move because of the mixed messages it sends to your workforce. When an employee gets a call or opens an email that advises them – out of nowhere – that their job role has been eliminated and they are being reassigned, they are apt to be confused, angry, and afraid. They may feel as if they are being forced to quit or that future layoffs are surely coming. 

This “take it or leave it” position can severely impact employee morale. Workers begin to question how the company really views them, reducing productivity. Talent that you do need, and didn’t plan on quietly cutting, start to think about their options and could end up jumping ship either because they aren’t happy with the culture or are afraid of future changes. Decreased productivity and hiring and onboarding new talent come with their own financial drains.

Transparent Reassigning Has Benefits

I’m not a proponent of “quiet” reassignment, but I am a strong believer in transparent reassigning rather than terminating. We are in the midst of a challenging economy and an expanding digital world, which is causing organizations to restructure in order to stay viable and competitive. As a result, processes are morphing making certain roles redundant or obsolete. New skill sets are needed to keep moving forward. But do you necessarily need to hire talent with those skills? There is a strong argument to be made to reassign and reskill rather than terminate and hire someone with the desired skills in a newly made position.

If you have someone who believes in the company’s mission and is a productive worker, great team player, and has drive to excel, do you really want to lose that worker just because they might not have the exact skills you are looking for? Reassigning and teaching them the skills they need to succeed in the position can be a win-win-win situation:

• The worker remains employed
• The organization keeps valuable talent
• And the organization saves the costs associated with attracting and hiring a new worker

But this strategy needs to be done with full transparency. The organization must clearly communicate that changes are necessary in order to maintain stability in a rocky economy. It’s important to be up front about what you are doing and why you are doing it. And it’s equally important that you have a plan for moving forward that includes identifying each employee’s strengths and how they can best fit into new roles, as well as strategies for training and development. Honesty and preparation are the best HR strategies when it comes to reassignment.

By Kimberly Kafafian

Our client had a top performing manager that slowly stopped performing well. She was letting deadlines slip, not followed through on serious customer issues, and she wasn’t effectively managing her team (which in turn caused stress on her team, which stressed her out further). As their fractional Chief People Officer, I approached the CEO about what I was seeing. Upon deeper discussion with the CEO, we realized the disengagement and performance issues we were seeing from this great manager were signs of burnout. Burnout continues to be a real challenge for organizations. While it may have reached its height during the pandemic, this physical and mental health issue continues to plague companies today. Just ask Google –  how to prevent “employee” burnout is still trending. Although I’m glad that leadership recognizes and wants to tackle the problem, I remind my clients that burnout can affect all members of the workforce, especially those in leadership roles. In fact, according to Microsoft’s Work Trend Index, 53% of managers report they are burned out at work. So, I like to devise strategies to identify and prevent burnout across all levels of the organization, including those in managerial and C-suite positions. 

Leadership Burnout Is Bad for Business 

Leaders are expected to handle anything that comes their way, remain positive, and guide the ship forward. The pressure they are put under, especially in a tumultuous economy, can be overwhelming. The constant stressors leaders experience can start to take a serious physical and emotional toll. And when that happens, not only may the ship go off course, it can start to sink!

So, it’s important to proactively recognize the causes of leadership burnout, know the symptoms to look out for, and develop strategies to prevent it.

Causes of Leadership Burnout

There is no singular reason why leaders get burned out; it is different for each person. There are, however, some common causes:

• Extremely heavy workload
• Too much multitasking
• Unrealistic expectations from superiors, team members, partners, and investors
• Feelings of isolation
• Lack of support to execute duties
• Work-life imbalance

Those in higher levels of the organization should assess how their actions, inactions, or corporate policies are contributing to any of these causes, and if so, take action to address them.

Lookout for These Burnout Signs in Leaders

Just as the causes of burnout vary from person to person, so do the signs. I advise my clients to pay attention for:

• Mistakes
• Decreases in productivity
• Missed meetings and deadlines
• Irritability
• Negativity
• Inability to focus
• Exhaustion
• Insomnia
• Physical ailments (headaches, stomach aches)
• Failure to return calls or emails
• Brain fog
• Reduced enthusiasm or motivation
• Moodiness

Of course, these all could be symptoms of other issues, but it is important to note any red flags. 

Strategies to Prevent Leadership Burnout

Once you’re aware of the signs, it’s time to take action. Here are some suggestions on how leaders can take steps to prevent burning out:

Prioritize self-care. Just as you would put a meeting on the schedule, set aside time to recharge. Take breaks, make sure you get enough sleep, and make time to do things you enjoy. 

Delegate. You can’t do everything yourself – even if you want to! Thoughtfully assign tasks, which will empower your team to take on more responsibilities.

Don’t Overcommit. You can’t be accessible and responsive all of the time. Set boundaries and stick to them. Of course emergencies will arise; I’m talking about the day to day stuff.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help. When your ship starts taking on water, you can’t handle it on your own. You have teams and colleagues for a reason. Reach out and ask for assistance when you need it.

And remember, happy and healthy leaders benefit the organization overall.

Need assistance with developing policies to address leadership burnout? Our HR team can help. Call to schedule a consultation.

 AI is infiltrating our lives at an unprecedented speed. Its easy access and powerful capabilities have both employees and leaders questioning if AI will actually lead to job obsolescence, replacements, and layoffs. Such possibilities are supported by outcomes of past technological advances. Just look at how online shopping devastated physical retail stores, or the way self checkouts are systematically eliminating cashier positions. The concern is real. So how will this new, evolving technology actually affect the workforce?

According to a recent IBM study, AI is directly impacting business models, as companies utilize the technology to perform specific tasks. Executives feel, however, that the shift in businesses and their workforce is not necessarily for the worse. 87% believe that employees are more likely to be augmented than replaced by generative AI – but this doesn’t mean that all positions are safe. Based on the survey:

• 97% of executives think employees in procurement are more likely to be augmented than replaced
• 93% for employees in risk and compliance
• 93% for finance
• 77% for customer service
• 73% for marketing

As AI takes on more manual and repetitive tasks, the skills gap grows, making employee reskilling inevitable. The executives surveyed estimate that 40% of workers will have to reskill in the next three years because of AI. 

Human resources will be integral in addressing the implementation of AI. As the Talent Management leader at Monarch HR Consulting, I’m already helping our clients assess their current operating models and processes to determine where AI makes sense, train talent to utilize it, address how the technology will result in a workforce shift, and more. 

AI is definitely expanding the role of human resources. Moving forward, HR teams will need to:

• Prepare the workforce for the implementation of AI by training them on how to use it, moving people into new roles, creating new roles, or reskilling
• Communicate with workers to find out how AI can make their jobs easier
• Identify the needed roles and skills for the future of the organization considering where AI fits in
• Assess the ethical use of AI for tasks and how to mitigate any downsides
• Create processes for AI regulation and compliance, and train employees on that compliance

Interestingly enough, AI can help HR teams execute these tasks, as well as streamline recruiting, employee engagement, and employee development initiatives.  

AI is part of the new workplace. Organizations and their workforces will need to embrace it and leverage it if they want to compete and stay relevant. 

The applications are coming in. The resumes look promising. But when interviewing candidates, you’re just not finding the right fit. We hear this a lot from our clients, along with similar complaints that although the interviews went well, the new hires are not living up to expectations. While there is no magic wand you can wave to find the right workers, we like to think we work some magic in helping clients attract and retain the best talent for their companies. Here’s a peek at some of the strategies that make our initiatives so successful. 

8 Elements for Effective Talent Acquisition

From identifying needs to writing the job description to building the right culture, every little detail of an employment recruitment strategy must be nuanced. If you’re to find talented workers who are going to stand the test of time, then you need to put the time into developing and implementing an effective strategy. We’ve found that a successful hiring process includes the elements outlined below.

Culture

Everything starts with having the right culture. It can make all the difference in whether someone even takes the time to apply to your company. Invest in learning what workers in your industry are looking for in an employer and build those things into your company’s culture, which today typically includes:

• Feeling appreciated, valued, recognized, and celebrated
• Flexibility in where and when you work
• Perks like free lunches or a day off on your birthday

Adding comments and testimonials from employees to your website can help candidates get a feel for what it’s like to work for your company.

Reputation

Now more than ever, you need to build a reputation as a company for which people WANT to work. Task HR, PR and marketing teams with spreading the word by working together on brand awareness. The goal is to generate buzz to make candidates excited to apply to your organization. 

Job Fulfillment

People want to work where they feel like they are making a difference, that their efforts matter and are contributing to something greater. So, it’s important to create a workplace where voices are heard, contributions are celebrated, and workers understand the roles they play in achieving results. 

Career Progression

Professional development is a talent lead magnet. Candidates want to know that the company offers opportunities, as well as guidance, for growth. Providing education, training, upskilling and re-skilling opportunities is an attractive selling point for your organization because it lets potential hires know that you are committed to helping them progress in their careers. 

Needs

To find the right fit, you must first identify exactly what it is you are looking for in an employee. Determine your current and future talent gaps. Be precise in your expectations, hard skills, soft skills, experience, background, and desirable candidate aspirations. 

Detailed Description

Now, take all of the elements above and write a robust job description. Fully explain the job responsibilities, required qualifications, preferred qualifications, and benefits. Be sure to also include information about what makes your culture unique, your company’s key strengths, and what you can offer a candidate. Think of this as your sales pitch – you want to attract and persuade top talent to apply. And please don’t forget to make the description legally compliant! 

Advertising Channels

Once you have the job description finalized, consider where you want to post it. Of course, it should be on the careers section of your website, as well as the relevant job posting sites for your industry and the position. Be sure to share that you’re hiring on your social media channels as well. 

The Candidate Experience

Now that you have your foundation in place, follow through by creating a superior candidate experience. By this, we mean how candidates feel about your company once they have experienced your hiring process. Here are some tips on how to improve it:

• Make it easy for candidates to apply by streamlining your application process
• Communicate with candidates during each step of the process, including receipt of the application
• Be clear about what candidates can expect from in-person/virtual interviews
• Make sure the interviewer is prepared for the interview, gives their full attention, and develops a good interpersonal relationship with the candidate
• Let candidates know you are no longer considering them as soon as you can do so
• Maintain connections with those candidates you may consider for future positions

Hopefully the above tips will help you develop a hiring process that will help your company attract the best talent possible.

By Kimberly Kafafian

If you want to boost your employees’ productivity, you might want to consider cutting back on the number of hours they work. At least that’s what the takeaway is from a new study by the non-profit organization 4 Day Week Global.  

The organization’s research shows that workers can get as much work done in a 33-hour week as in 38 hours. How is that possible? By working more efficiently. It appears that employees who work four days vs five are making changes in how they work as opposed to speeding up and cramming the same work into a shorter time period – with better results! 

In addition to the enhanced productivity, companies also saw:

• Revenue increase by 15% over the course of the trial
• Boost in attracting new employees
• Reduction in the number of employees considering leaving their jobs

100% of the companies who were part of this pilot program are definitely planning or leaning towards continuing their four day week. Now, that’s quite a testament!

While this study produced amazing results, I recognize that not every business is open to the concept of, or able to segue into, a four day work week. I am sharing these results mainly to draw attention to the fact that productivity and hours worked are not synonymous. Business owners, leaders, and managers should not conflate the quality with the quantity of work.

Productivity Is the Real Measure

The pandemic brought a shift in when we work and how we work. Rather than be a strict taskmaster tracking the exact number of hours clocked, leadership should be focusing on the output. Hours just measure how long someone worked, while productivity measures how well they worked, which is more directly correlated to the bottom line. 

Assessing Productivity vs Hours

Analyzing the differences between employee productivity and the set hours worked can help leadership get a full picture of the connection and reassess productivity goals. Why? Because working more hours doesn’t necessarily produce greater output; in fact, as the study reveals it may even reduce it. By conducting such an assessment, you might find that you should be leveraging different tools or software to help your workforce maximize efficiency, or that your workforce is taking a significant amount of sick days around intense work periods. 

When you focus on maximizing productivity rather than time worked, you can boost morale, reduce burnout, and increase retention – and that’s a win for everyone.