Key ways to manage local government redundancies

Now the government's budget has been finalised and organisational changes, at both the departmental and individual level, have been worked through, redundancy has moved from a word bandied around in the political sphere to a tangible and immediate fact of life for many local government employees. The next six to 24 months are going to be ones of vast change for councils, so how should managers go about handling this process professionally, sensitively and with a high degree of skill? Penna recently produced research setting out the best practice for public sector redundancies . Here are some of the key points to think about: Early on establish a set of clearly defined objectives. These may include the time-frame the council is working to (successfully meeting these objectives will depend on effective management before, during and after the changes), how the stresses and strains for both departing employees and those being retained can be minimised, and how the employer brand is maintained as one that is caring and professional in its dealings with employees. Once these objectives are established, detailed and careful planning of how the redundancy process is to be carried out will be necessary. Whilst individual circumstances will vary, organisations and line managers will need to be clear about why the changes are required in the first place and then ensure that they adhere to both organisational and legal policy and practice. Early involvement of the HR or personnel team is, of course, paramount – they should be able to advise you of correct process and should be there to support the line management community during the redundancy consultation process. When it comes to selecting who is leaving, the process must be fair and non-discriminatory. Ideally, appoint a project manager, someone with appropriate experience and who can stand apart from the politics, focusing on ensuring that the tasks are undertaken efficiently and sensitively and remain in alignment with organisational objectives (qualified, external interim managers can often help here). Once the objectives and planning stages have been completed, it's important to communicate what's going on to the wider organisation. Whilst those individuals who are facing redundancy will have an understanding about what is happening to them on a personal level, it's important to ensure that others also understand the changes and the rationale behind them. Maintaining performance during times of change can be difficult but it is essential, particularly given the scale of change likely to be experienced in local government, if the organisational goals are to be achieved. As such, part of the planning stage should include a communication plan that outlines the key stages and ensures that all employees are clear as to what is happening – now is certainly not the right time to hide behind closed doors. With the majority of organisations supporting exiting employees with outplacement and job-search support, it's important to ensure that those who are not leaving and required to move the organisation forward are not neglected. Training and development will often be needed to ensure they have the skills and capabilities required to bounce back from the significant changes that take place, and meet the needs of the public who rely to a large extent on the maintenance of high-quality, professional services. While the change process is clearly a difficult period for the organisation, implementation of these steps will mitigate the impact of the changes upon its overall performance. With clear objectives, a realistic and carefully structured plan, good communication and with appropriately trained individuals managing the process, there is every reason to expect that it will be successful. Owen Morgan - Commercial Director of HR Consulting at Penna . This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. Join the local government network for more like this direct to your inbox.