Restructuring your company can be a daunting task, especially if you worry about the impact it will have on your staff. However, it’s possible to create a streamlined process that minimizes office disruption and doesn’t cut into employee benefits. Below are nine approaches organizations often use to restructure while minimizing burnout among staff.
1. Communicate Transparently
Many organizations start by clearly explaining why restructuring is happening and what goals they’re working toward. Clear communication around expected timelines can also help reduce uncertainty. Restructuring can take months or even years.
Whether you’re expanding, trying to improve efficiency, merging, cutting costs, or looking to boost profits, your staff should be on the same page from the start. Share what your timelines are and what goals you expect to meet at each phase. Providing regular updates can help reduce uncertainty as changes unfold. It may also be worth discussing potential challenges you’ll be facing as a team.
2. Prioritize Employee Retention and Support
This may be an unstable or uncertain time for your company, but make sure to identify key talent and offer those employees retention-focused incentives, such as retention bonuses. Another way to keep your best employees is to conduct interviews and make a note of what motivates your staff. Strategic employee retention services can ensure your business doesn’t face major hiccups as it transitions.
You can also create mentorship programs to help motivated employees move up the ladder within the newly restructured company. This can help improve loyalty and boost satisfaction.
3. Outsource HR Duties to Lighten the Load
When HR responsibilities become difficult to manage internally, some organizations explore partnerships with professional employer organizations (PEOs).What is a PEO, and how can it help? A PEO is a third-party company that helps with functions like administrative changes, payroll, compliance, benefits, and employee relations. This can help reduce administrative strain on internal teams, allowing leaders to spend more time supporting employees.
Hiring a PEO offers a ton of benefits, especially for a company that’s restructuring. These partnerships often provide access to specialized HR support without requiring internal teams to build new expertise from scratch. PEOs are scalable, too, which means they offer the right amount of support and guidance as your business grows or resizes.
4. Strengthen Benefits to Keep Your Staff Engaged
Periods of change often prompt organizations to re-evaluate how benefits are structured and communicated. Besides the standard packages, consider adding temporary support resources during the restructuring period, such as flexible schedules or even wellness stipends for things like therapy, yoga classes, and gym memberships. Enhancing ancillary benefits or support resources can signal to employees that their well-being remains a priority during change.
5. Provide Managers With Change Management Tools
Restructuring a company can lead to confusion among managers, especially when team leaders need to pivot quickly or adapt to new scenarios. To ease transitions, some organizations provide managers with additional training or resources to effectively balance workloads, and encourage them to check in regularly to ensure effective progress. When restructuring becomes particularly demanding, coaching or peer support groups can help managers share challenges and insights. This gives team leaders a space to share challenges and gain insights.
6. Implement Phased Workload Adjustments
A huge restructure, such as an expansion, can feel insurmountable. However, if you break restructuring tasks into manageable phases, your staff can better handle the changes. Use milestones to track progress, too. And as the restructuring projects near completion, avoid piling new responsibilities onto your staff without the proper training. To lighten the load, you can hand off noncritical tasks and use HR outsourcing services so that your staff can focus.
7. Help Employees Move Into New Roles and Learn New Skills
Part of restructuring may mean some employees will be learning new skills and moving into new roles. Offer training programs to make this shift seamless so team members feel supported and motivated rather than stressed and anxious. Conduct interviews that help align employees’ career goals with new roles, and communicate how these new roles and new skills benefit both the company and its employees.
8. Monitor Burnout and Act Quickly
Your staff may be on board with all the changes, but that doesn’t mean burnout won’t occur. As your company restructures, introduce surveys and brief one-on-one interviews to assess stress levels. Make sure employees aren’t burning out from too much overtime. If you see signs of burnout, act quickly by adjusting workloads and offering support. For some employees, prolonged stress or fatigue may surface during extended periods of change. Find a way to normalize challenging conversations about mental health so that each employee feels heard.
9. Celebrate Progress and Recognize Effort
Your business may be in survival mode as it restructures, but your employees don’t have to be. By recognizing small wins and acknowledging individuals for their contributions, you can proactively support and guide your employees through a tough transition. Personalized thank-you notes, gift cards, and birthday dinners are just some of the ways you can show your appreciation.
Moreover, address any instances of “survivor’s guilt,” especially for remaining employees being asked to take on a larger workload. Acknowledge how they’re feeling and show appreciation for their efforts and commitment to the company. Make it a point to regularly highlight any and all progress so that employees feel appreciated. And remember to tie all recognition and shout-outs to the company’s ultimate goals, ensuring that your staff feels valued, united, and proud of what they’re accomplishing.
Keep Your Staff Strong While Going Through Changes
Restructuring a company has obvious hurdles. There may be setbacks, unforeseen delays, and unexpectedly high costs. However, during this period, retaining your employees is just as critical as restructuring your organization. While these nine strategies won’t eliminate all obstacles or guarantee success, they can help you ensure that your staff won’t burn out and will support you into the next phase.
