
大多數(shù)美國(guó)首席執(zhí)行官預(yù)計(jì)經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退即將到來,,在世界大型企業(yè)聯(lián)合會(huì)(Conference Board)開展的調(diào)查中,,98%的受調(diào)對(duì)象均有此看法。作為應(yīng)對(duì)舉措,,他們未雨綢繆,尋找各種能夠節(jié)流的領(lǐng)域,,其中一個(gè)便是人才,。
有人估計(jì),,2023年,美國(guó)有超過5.8萬名科技公司員工成為了裁員對(duì)象,,這還只是一個(gè)行業(yè)的數(shù)據(jù),。幾乎可以肯定的是,受從眾效應(yīng),、2021年過度招聘的糾正,,以及企業(yè)高管不景氣經(jīng)濟(jì)預(yù)期的影響,未來將出現(xiàn)更大規(guī)模的裁員潮,。不過,,裁員是解決企業(yè)財(cái)務(wù)問題的正確方式嗎?
相關(guān)數(shù)據(jù)顯示情況并非如此,。然而,,隨著這一趨勢(shì)的發(fā)展,那些正在考慮裁員的首席執(zhí)行官不妨認(rèn)真了解一下有關(guān)裁員令人驚訝的真相,。研究顯示,,預(yù)期的效益通常是海市蜃樓,而其成本要比管理者們意識(shí)到的要高得多,。
不菲的裁員成本
從一開始,,裁員的成本就不便宜。在裁員給老板省錢之前,,老板得先花上一大筆,。例如,微軟(Microsoft)宣布從收入中拿出12億美元的費(fèi)用,,以支付裁員的直接成本,,包括遣散費(fèi)、福利延期,、應(yīng)計(jì)假期和其他可能在合同中約定的成本,,相當(dāng)于每位被裁雇員12萬美元。
經(jīng)濟(jì)環(huán)境是周期性的,,而且雇主通常會(huì)在下行時(shí)期結(jié)束時(shí)重新填補(bǔ)空缺崗位,。如此之做會(huì)耗費(fèi)更多的時(shí)間和資金,因?yàn)樾鹿蛦T在成為生產(chǎn)力之前需要進(jìn)行入職培訓(xùn)和其他培訓(xùn),??紤]到所有這些成本,裁員可能并不省錢,。咨詢公司貝恩(Bain & Company)的研究顯示:“裁員的成本可能會(huì)超過收益,。”尤其是在衰退持續(xù)時(shí)間短,、程度溫和時(shí)更是如此,,而這正是很多經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家預(yù)計(jì)的美國(guó)今年的衰退模式,。
一些公司為自身在過去經(jīng)濟(jì)下行期的所做作為付出了慘痛代價(jià)。在大衰退拉開帷幕之時(shí),,美國(guó)西北航空公司(Northwest Airlines)裁掉了數(shù)百名飛行員,。當(dāng)業(yè)務(wù)恢復(fù)時(shí),公司未能快速招聘到飛行員,,并因航班取消損失了數(shù)千萬美元的收入,。
知識(shí)的丟失
當(dāng)被裁的員工離開公司時(shí),其掌握的寶貴知識(shí)也會(huì)隨之而去,。這一點(diǎn)很難量化,,然而,如果沒有雇員所掌握的不成文制度性操作知識(shí),,各大公司就無法在這個(gè)知識(shí)經(jīng)濟(jì)時(shí)代以最佳的狀態(tài)運(yùn)營(yíng),,而且大多數(shù)被裁的員工不會(huì)再回到公司。其破壞力可能比管理者預(yù)計(jì)的更廣泛,。研究員對(duì)《管理學(xué)習(xí)》(Management Learning)上發(fā)表的相關(guān)文獻(xiàn)進(jìn)行對(duì)比調(diào)查后表示:“裁員不僅會(huì)破壞個(gè)人和社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)層面的寶貴機(jī)構(gòu)知識(shí),,同時(shí)還可能極大地?cái)_亂已有流程、慣例和機(jī)構(gòu)文化,。這些較為間接的影響會(huì)造成嚴(yán)重的長(zhǎng)期后果,。”
業(yè)績(jī)下滑
公司的生產(chǎn)力在裁員之前,、期間和之后都會(huì)有所下降,,最終損害盈利能力。焦慮,、謠言和虛假信息將激增,。那些留下來的員工思考的更多的是他們自己而不是公司,而且他們?cè)诎素院蜏?zhǔn)備簡(jiǎn)歷方面所花費(fèi)的時(shí)間將飆升,。在分析了多項(xiàng)研究之后,,來自于科羅拉多大學(xué)(University of Colorado)、波蘭大學(xué)(University of Portland)和德州農(nóng)工大學(xué)(Texas A&M)的研究人員認(rèn)為裁員的成本還包括“留存員工生產(chǎn)力的下降,?!闭f到更具體的數(shù)字,美國(guó)心理學(xué)協(xié)會(huì)(American Psychological Association)發(fā)布的研究顯示,,裁員之后,,那些留存人員的工作業(yè)績(jī)下滑了20%。
繼任計(jì)劃脫軌
管理層的接替人才管線會(huì)受到拖累,,尤其在大規(guī)模裁員的情況下,,因?yàn)樗鼤?huì)減少機(jī)構(gòu)未來的智力資本(intellectual capital)。在上個(gè)世紀(jì)80年代經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退期間裁掉了數(shù)萬名員工(大多數(shù)都是入職不久的員工)之后,銀行和電氣設(shè)施出現(xiàn)了管理層斷層問題,。20年后,,這些公司為此付出了代價(jià),當(dāng)時(shí),,它們需要有經(jīng)驗(yàn)、見多識(shí)廣的高管來繼任即將退休的老一代高管,,但發(fā)現(xiàn)這些層級(jí)中大量的職位都是空的,。
留存員工也將受累
信諾(Cigna)與美國(guó)管理協(xié)會(huì)(American Management Association)開展的一項(xiàng)調(diào)查顯示,在裁員之后,,留存雇員請(qǐng)病假的次數(shù)大幅增加,,原因多為精神健康、藥物濫用和心血管問題,。斯坦福大學(xué)(Stanford University)研究員在研究了多項(xiàng)調(diào)查之后指出,,造成崗位不安全感的舉措,例如精簡(jiǎn)或大規(guī)模裁員通常會(huì)伴隨“留存員工健康惡化”問題,。那些負(fù)責(zé)裁員的人也未能幸免于難,。來自于45家美國(guó)醫(yī)院的研究顯示,經(jīng)理們?cè)诓脝T之后一周內(nèi)出現(xiàn)心臟病的概率會(huì)增加一倍,。
華爾街或?qū)⒙勶L(fēng)而動(dòng)
貝恩公司的一份報(bào)告顯示,,如果公司因大型戰(zhàn)略重組或合并而裁員,那么投資者可能會(huì)推高股價(jià),。然而,,如果裁員只是為了削減成本,嗅到問題的華爾街通常會(huì)做空公司股票,。當(dāng)孩之寶(Hasbro)在1月底宣布將裁員1000名員工時(shí),,公司股價(jià)下跌了9%。
誠(chéng)然,,一旦出現(xiàn)突如其來的嚴(yán)重經(jīng)濟(jì)沖擊,,例如百年一遇的全球疫情,裁員可能無法避免,。然而即便在極端環(huán)境下,,企業(yè)管理者不妨考慮一下裁員是否真的是無可避免。一些大型公司在70多年的時(shí)間中拒絕進(jìn)行任何大規(guī)模裁員,,包括在疫情期間也是如此,,而且不斷發(fā)展壯大。豐田在2008-2009年的蕭條期間并未裁員,,不過,,通用汽車(General Motors)、福特汽車(Ford Motor)和克萊斯勒(Chrysler)當(dāng)時(shí)裁掉了數(shù)萬名員工??偛课挥诙砗ザ碇莸暮附釉O(shè)備制造商林肯電氣(Lincoln Electric)在至少75年的時(shí)間內(nèi)沒有進(jìn)行過裁員,,該公司的工廠遍布全球,其股價(jià)最近正在向歷史最高位邁進(jìn),。
當(dāng)進(jìn)入困難時(shí)期而且新一季度的營(yíng)收前景慘淡時(shí),,裁員是一個(gè)十分有誘惑力的舉措。然而,,裁員可能會(huì)變成急功近利的陷阱,。有鑒于更多的首席執(zhí)行官開始考慮裁減其員工,他們必然會(huì)質(zhì)疑,,如果從大局出發(fā),,始終不裁員的這些企業(yè)案例真的行得通嗎?(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
大多數(shù)美國(guó)首席執(zhí)行官預(yù)計(jì)經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退即將到來,,在世界大型企業(yè)聯(lián)合會(huì)(Conference Board)開展的調(diào)查中,,98%的受調(diào)對(duì)象均有此看法。作為應(yīng)對(duì)舉措,,他們未雨綢繆,,尋找各種能夠節(jié)流的領(lǐng)域,其中一個(gè)便是人才,。
有人估計(jì),,2023年,美國(guó)有超過5.8萬名科技公司員工成為了裁員對(duì)象,,這還只是一個(gè)行業(yè)的數(shù)據(jù),。幾乎可以肯定的是,受從眾效應(yīng),、2021年過度招聘的糾正,,以及企業(yè)高管不景氣經(jīng)濟(jì)預(yù)期的影響,未來將出現(xiàn)更大規(guī)模的裁員潮,。不過,,裁員是解決企業(yè)財(cái)務(wù)問題的正確方式嗎?
相關(guān)數(shù)據(jù)顯示情況并非如此,。然而,,隨著這一趨勢(shì)的發(fā)展,那些正在考慮裁員的首席執(zhí)行官不妨認(rèn)真了解一下有關(guān)裁員令人驚訝的真相,。研究顯示,,預(yù)期的效益通常是海市蜃樓,而其成本要比管理者們意識(shí)到的要高得多,。
不菲的裁員成本
從一開始,,裁員的成本就不便宜。在裁員給老板省錢之前,老板得先花上一大筆,。例如,,微軟(Microsoft)宣布從收入中拿出12億美元的費(fèi)用,以支付裁員的直接成本,,包括遣散費(fèi),、福利延期、應(yīng)計(jì)假期和其他可能在合同中約定的成本,,相當(dāng)于每位被裁雇員12萬美元,。
經(jīng)濟(jì)環(huán)境是周期性的,而且雇主通常會(huì)在下行時(shí)期結(jié)束時(shí)重新填補(bǔ)空缺崗位,。如此之做會(huì)耗費(fèi)更多的時(shí)間和資金,因?yàn)樾鹿蛦T在成為生產(chǎn)力之前需要進(jìn)行入職培訓(xùn)和其他培訓(xùn),??紤]到所有這些成本,裁員可能并不省錢,。咨詢公司貝恩(Bain & Company)的研究顯示:“裁員的成本可能會(huì)超過收益,。”尤其是在衰退持續(xù)時(shí)間短,、程度溫和時(shí)更是如此,,而這正是很多經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家預(yù)計(jì)的美國(guó)今年的衰退模式。
一些公司為自身在過去經(jīng)濟(jì)下行期的所做作為付出了慘痛代價(jià),。在大衰退拉開帷幕之時(shí),,美國(guó)西北航空公司(Northwest Airlines)裁掉了數(shù)百名飛行員。當(dāng)業(yè)務(wù)恢復(fù)時(shí),,公司未能快速招聘到飛行員,,并因航班取消損失了數(shù)千萬美元的收入。
知識(shí)的丟失
當(dāng)被裁的員工離開公司時(shí),,其掌握的寶貴知識(shí)也會(huì)隨之而去,。這一點(diǎn)很難量化,然而,,如果沒有雇員所掌握的不成文制度性操作知識(shí),,各大公司就無法在這個(gè)知識(shí)經(jīng)濟(jì)時(shí)代以最佳的狀態(tài)運(yùn)營(yíng),而且大多數(shù)被裁的員工不會(huì)再回到公司,。其破壞力可能比管理者預(yù)計(jì)的更廣泛,。研究員對(duì)《管理學(xué)習(xí)》(Management Learning)上發(fā)表的相關(guān)文獻(xiàn)進(jìn)行對(duì)比調(diào)查后表示:“裁員不僅會(huì)破壞個(gè)人和社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)層面的寶貴機(jī)構(gòu)知識(shí),同時(shí)還可能極大地?cái)_亂已有流程,、慣例和機(jī)構(gòu)文化,。這些較為間接的影響會(huì)造成嚴(yán)重的長(zhǎng)期后果。”
業(yè)績(jī)下滑
公司的生產(chǎn)力在裁員之前,、期間和之后都會(huì)有所下降,,最終損害盈利能力。焦慮,、謠言和虛假信息將激增,。那些留下來的員工思考的更多的是他們自己而不是公司,而且他們?cè)诎素院蜏?zhǔn)備簡(jiǎn)歷方面所花費(fèi)的時(shí)間將飆升,。在分析了多項(xiàng)研究之后,,來自于科羅拉多大學(xué)(University of Colorado)、波蘭大學(xué)(University of Portland)和德州農(nóng)工大學(xué)(Texas A&M)的研究人員認(rèn)為裁員的成本還包括“留存員工生產(chǎn)力的下降,?!闭f到更具體的數(shù)字,美國(guó)心理學(xué)協(xié)會(huì)(American Psychological Association)發(fā)布的研究顯示,,裁員之后,,那些留存人員的工作業(yè)績(jī)下滑了20%。
繼任計(jì)劃脫軌
管理層的接替人才管線會(huì)受到拖累,,尤其在大規(guī)模裁員的情況下,,因?yàn)樗鼤?huì)減少機(jī)構(gòu)未來的智力資本(intellectual capital)。在上個(gè)世紀(jì)80年代經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退期間裁掉了數(shù)萬名員工(大多數(shù)都是入職不久的員工)之后,,銀行和電氣設(shè)施出現(xiàn)了管理層斷層問題,。20年后,這些公司為此付出了代價(jià),,當(dāng)時(shí),,它們需要有經(jīng)驗(yàn)、見多識(shí)廣的高管來繼任即將退休的老一代高管,,但發(fā)現(xiàn)這些層級(jí)中大量的職位都是空的,。
留存員工也將受累
信諾(Cigna)與美國(guó)管理協(xié)會(huì)(American Management Association)開展的一項(xiàng)調(diào)查顯示,在裁員之后,,留存雇員請(qǐng)病假的次數(shù)大幅增加,,原因多為精神健康、藥物濫用和心血管問題,。斯坦福大學(xué)(Stanford University)研究員在研究了多項(xiàng)調(diào)查之后指出,,造成崗位不安全感的舉措,例如精簡(jiǎn)或大規(guī)模裁員通常會(huì)伴隨“留存員工健康惡化”問題,。那些負(fù)責(zé)裁員的人也未能幸免于難,。來自于45家美國(guó)醫(yī)院的研究顯示,經(jīng)理們?cè)诓脝T之后一周內(nèi)出現(xiàn)心臟病的概率會(huì)增加一倍,。
華爾街或?qū)⒙勶L(fēng)而動(dòng)
貝恩公司的一份報(bào)告顯示,,如果公司因大型戰(zhàn)略重組或合并而裁員,,那么投資者可能會(huì)推高股價(jià)。然而,,如果裁員只是為了削減成本,,嗅到問題的華爾街通常會(huì)做空公司股票。當(dāng)孩之寶(Hasbro)在1月底宣布將裁員1000名員工時(shí),,公司股價(jià)下跌了9%,。
誠(chéng)然,一旦出現(xiàn)突如其來的嚴(yán)重經(jīng)濟(jì)沖擊,,例如百年一遇的全球疫情,,裁員可能無法避免。然而即便在極端環(huán)境下,,企業(yè)管理者不妨考慮一下裁員是否真的是無可避免,。一些大型公司在70多年的時(shí)間中拒絕進(jìn)行任何大規(guī)模裁員,包括在疫情期間也是如此,,而且不斷發(fā)展壯大,。豐田在2008-2009年的蕭條期間并未裁員,不過,,通用汽車(General Motors)、福特汽車(Ford Motor)和克萊斯勒(Chrysler)當(dāng)時(shí)裁掉了數(shù)萬名員工,??偛课挥诙砗ザ碇莸暮附釉O(shè)備制造商林肯電氣(Lincoln Electric)在至少75年的時(shí)間內(nèi)沒有進(jìn)行過裁員,該公司的工廠遍布全球,,其股價(jià)最近正在向歷史最高位邁進(jìn),。
當(dāng)進(jìn)入困難時(shí)期而且新一季度的營(yíng)收前景慘淡時(shí),裁員是一個(gè)十分有誘惑力的舉措,。然而,,裁員可能會(huì)變成急功近利的陷阱。有鑒于更多的首席執(zhí)行官開始考慮裁減其員工,,他們必然會(huì)質(zhì)疑,,如果從大局出發(fā),始終不裁員的這些企業(yè)案例真的行得通嗎,?(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
Most U.S. CEOs expect a recession, with 98% of those surveyed by the Conference Board saying as much. In response, they’re battening down the hatches and looking for areas to cut spending. One of those areas is talent.
By some estimates, more than 58,000 workers in U.S.-based tech companies have been laid off in 2023—and that’s just from one industry. More layoffs are almost certain to come, thanks in part to the bandwagon effect, a correction to overhiring in 2021, and what leaders foresee as tough economic conditions ahead. But are layoffs the right answer financially?
The data suggests otherwise. But as this trend builds, CEOs pondering a reduction in force may want to look closely at the surprising reality of layoffs. Research shows that the anticipated benefits are often a mirage, while the costs are much greater than leaders realize.
Layoffs are costly
Layoffs are expensive from day one. And before they save an employer money, they cost a bundle. For example, Microsoft announced it would take a $1.2 billion charge to earnings to account for its layoffs’ immediate costs, including severance payments, benefit extensions, accrued vacation, and other costs that may be contractually required. That’s $120,000 per laid-off employee.
Economic conditions are cyclical, and employers often want to refill empty seats when downturns end. Doing so takes more time and money since new employees require onboarding and training before they’re fully productive. Combine all these costs, and layoffs may not save a dime. “Job losses can produce greater costs than benefits,” says research from the consulting firm Bain & Company. That’s especially true if a recession turns out to be short and mild, as many economists expect in the U.S. this year.
Some companies learned this lesson the hard way in past downturns. In the prelude to the Great Recession, Northwest Airlines fired hundreds of pilots. When business recovered, it couldn’t hire pilots fast enough and lost millions of dollars of revenue from canceled flights.
Loss of knowledge
Valuable knowledge leaves when laid-off workers exit a company. It’s impossible to quantify, but companies can’t function at their best in a knowledge-based economy without the unwritten institutional know-how employees possess. And most of what leaves won’t come back. The damage can be more extensive than leaders may expect. “Employee downsizing not only runs the risk of destroying valuable organizational knowledge on the individual and social network levels but may also profoundly disrupt established procedures, routines, and the organizational culture,” conclude researchers in a comprehensive review of the relevant literature published in Management Learning. “These more indirect effects can have severe long-term consequences.”
Performance tanks
Productivity will sag before, during, and after layoffs, ultimately hurting profitability. Anxiety, rumors, and false information will proliferate. Those who remain will think more about themselves and less about the company, and time spent gossiping and preparing résumés will mushroom. Analyzing multiple studies, researchers from the University of Colorado, University of Portland, and Texas A&M cite “decreased productivity among survivors” among the costs of employee downsizing. In more quantifiable terms, research published by the American Psychological Association found that after a layoff, the job performance of those who remained fell by 20%.
Succession plans get derailed
The leadership pipeline suffers, especially when layoffs are large, diminishing an organization’s future intellectual capital. Banks and electric utilities witnessed the drawbacks to leadership discontinuity after laying off tens of thousands of mostly junior employees during the recessions of the 1980s. Those companies paid the price 20 years later when they needed experienced, knowledgeable executives to succeed the retiring generation and found only a broad, empty space in the ranks.
Survivors suffer
A study by Cigna and the American Management Association found that employees who remain after a layoff make significantly more medical claims than before, especially for mental health, substance abuse, and cardiovascular issues. Stanford University researchers, citing multiple studies, note that measures of job insecurity such as downsizing or mass layoffs are associated with “worsened health among surviving employees.” Those doing the firing also aren’t immune. Research from 45 U.S. hospitals shows that managers are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack in the week after they fire someone.
Wall Street may react
A Bain report found that if a company lays off employees as part of a larger strategic restructuring or merger, investors may push the stock up. But if a layoff is merely cost-cutting, Wall Street senses trouble and typically sends the stock down. Hasbro stock fell 9% when the company announced in late January it was laying off 1,000 employees.
To be sure, layoffs may be unavoidable in a sudden, severe economic shock—say, a once-a-century global pandemic. But even in extremis, business leaders might want to consider whether a layoff is truly unavoidable. A few major companies have refused to make mass dismissals for 70 years or more, including during the pandemic, and have thrived. Toyota avoided laying off employees in the 2008–09 recession, even as General Motors, Ford Motor, and Chrysler dismissed tens of thousands. Lincoln Electric, a major Ohio-based maker of welding equipment with factories worldwide, hasn’t laid off employees in at least 75 years; its stock was recently near an all-time high.
Layoffs are alluring in difficult times and when the next quarter’s earnings are in peril. But that may be the short-termism trap. As more CEOs consider downsizing their workforce, it would behoove them to question whether, in the big picture, the long-term case against layoffs is more persuasive.