That led me to research other similar articles. I will be paraphrasing here, but the bottom line is:
Wells Fargo is on the exact opposite of the spectrum of what is recommended:
- Communicate with your employees openly and honestly. Be transparent. Employees must hear it directly from management, not the rumor mill/news. Wells Fargo score: 0
- Be human. This is a business decision with very personal consequences. Treat it as such. Wells Fargo score: 0
- Management should be transparent about the methodology behind their decision making process regarding who stays and who goes. Any sense of unfairness will be viewed negatively by the remaining employees. If the decisions on who was laid off and who wasn’t are not clear, then employees will doubt all future talent decisions. Morale and productivity will remain low. Wells Fargo Score: I’m predicting 0.
- Management should share the pain. Management should consider taking pay cuts to show solidarity and sacrifice. Employees expect senior leaders to absorb as much of the pain as they are. To date, more than 70 U.S. corporate CEOs have reportedly announced they will take full or partial cuts this year. Wells Fargo score: less than 0.
- Employees would like to know that leadership considered every possible option before layoffs. And that leadership has learned from their mistakes which led to layoffs and will make appropriate decisions going forward to avoid multiple rounds of layoffs. Is management exploring other intelligent methods of cost cutting? Layoffs should be a last resort. Wells Fargo score: I’ll let you decide.
During this pandemic, there is more attention now than ever to how employers are treating their employees. How employers manage their workforce’s during this time will have lasting implications for their brand for the next five years. Weeks Fargo score regarding WFH: 10. Wells Fargo score regarding layoffs: A big 0
Personally, it is #4 that tells me everything I need to know about this company’s leadership: Selfish. Lack of strong moral principles. Without conscience. Disgraceful.