As we continue to respond to the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, many organisations that were previously in a period of growth and recruitment have had to furlough staff and are considering options including redundancies as a means of survival and recovery.
However, research has shown the adverse effect that reducing headcount has on the employees left behind and that retaining talent is a vital strategy to survive a recession and succeed afterwards [1]. As we discuss in this article, redeployment can be an effective strategy for developing and retaining talent, helping organisations to recover and thrive.
Redeployment as a means of protecting investment in talent
Redeployment involves relocating employees to other parts of the business with areas of growth or strategic importance, offering the potential for significant cost savings when used as a retention strategy to avoid redundancy and recruitment and training costs [1]. It also ensures that the highest levels of expertise are retained and targeted where they are most needed as well as protecting the investment in skills required for recovery [2].
Creating organisational resilience through redeployment
A recent Forbes article highlighted that 22% of survey respondents saw COVID-19 as an opportunity for organisations to cross-train employees and add new skills to their workforce. Redeploying staff not only offers the opportunity to expand their skillset and experience but also - through a greater understanding of how other areas of the business operate - prepares them for future roles in the organisation, potentially more senior roles with a greater strategic overview. Using redeployment as a talent development strategy and technique for upskilling and developing people enables organisations to be resilient, flexible and innovative when responding to challenges by having a workforce with diversified skills, sharing their talent and expertise across the organisation [3].
The benefits of redeployment on morale and motivation
Reducing headcount during times of economic downturn can have significant negative impacts on those employees who ‘survive’ the downsizing - sometimes referred to as ‘survivor syndrome’ [1]. These employees often experience lower morale, motivation, engagement, organisational commitment and productivity [4]. In a previous article, we discussed how a reduced workforce provides an opportunity for those employees not furloughed to develop their skills, to get involved in different types of projects, which can increase their motivation and engagement [5]. Therefore, whilst redeployment may be driven by financial and operational requirements, it can also be an effective strategy to solve issues of morale or capability where employees are in roles they don’t enjoy, are not committed to or not best suited to, and where their talents could be used more effectively elsewhere [3].