About this article

Read time:

4 minutes

Category:

Opinion, Sector knowledge

Being Human: The tech sector needs to remember its employees aren’t robots

Another week, another round of mass layoffs in the tech sector. With Amazon (AWS) and Meta cutting thousands of jobs, and further layoffs at Salesforce and of course Twitter, it has felt a bit like the tech world has been imploding of late. This is of course concerning for us working in B2B tech PR, but more importantly for the developers, engineers, product managers, in fact anyone who has been made redundant from these businesses, considering how they have been let go and what they will do next is worrying. The pendulum seems to have swung from there being a dearth of tech talent with businesses fighting over it not that long ago, to a situation where there is a glut.

However, the outlook may not be as gloomy as it sometimes feels. In fact, many analysts believe that this contraction is more of a market correction following the rush to digitisation as a result of the pandemic. And yes, the tech industry seems to have been hit hardest – but no industry is immune from the rising costs that are causing redundancies to be made everywhere.

Whatever the future holds, the situation for many businesses is that it’s simply not viable to retain talent any longer. But the way in which you communicate these cost-cutting measures could have long-lasting consequences for the media profile of your business and the way you are viewed, both from the outside and from within your organisation. This in turn could impact on investor decisions, future talent acquisition, retention, and of course have potential negative consequences in the media.

So below are a couple of things to remember, from a PR perspective, should you be in the unenviable position of having to make forced layoffs.

Remember, it’s Human Resources

Employees aren’t machines. It can sometimes feel like tech companies operate in a way which feels transactional in its communications. Yet it’s vital for the employee and for the reputation of the business to ensure news of cuts is conveyed to staff in the right way.

Although not a tech company, remember the P&O Ferries boat crash of a PR disaster? The impact of laying off your entire workforce in an unexpected, pre-recorded video message sent shudders through the comms world as an exercise in what not to do. The apparent brutality of the way the news was imparted was far-reaching and went way beyond the impact on employees; the brand perception of P&O plummeted in the months following this event.

Such a media maelstrom can have serious long-term impact on your bottom line, for any business. Customers, whether consumers or businesses, are humans too – and they want to buy from businesses that value their employees and treat them well.

Don’t fire people on Twitter

It may seem like a basic lesson in common courtesy, but telling people either on Twitter, or indirectly through any public channel or medium, rather than in person, is unwise.

Depending on the size of your business, you may want to consider releasing a statement to the press from the CEO explaining why such difficult decisions have had to be made. This will help people to understand the processes involved and to reassure investors. Social media is a great tool for the senior leadership team to add any further colour to the reasons they have had to take these steps and why this is necessary to secure the future of the business. Importantly, this needs to be genuine, as opposed to a copy and paste job filled with corporate jargon. Audiences want authenticity from a brand in good times and bad. And remember, publicly shaming employees when you’re the boss is never a good idea; it may end up with you needing a bodyguard in your own office.

Looking to the future

The way in which your tech business is viewed both from the investor community, potential customers, and current employees, can be revitalised through PR whether you’re in a period of restructuring or not. A consistent PR programme that includes a drumbeat of positive news stories, and relevant opinions, will help you to sustain momentum among your target audiences, focusing on the key messages you want to communicate.

It used to be the case that today’s bad news was tomorrow’s fish and chip wrapping. We can’t rely on that anymore; a company’s digital footprint isn’t going anywhere. And you don’t want the first thing your next potential investor to see being disgruntled former employees complaining about how they’ve been treated on Glassdoor.

Ultimately, this comes down to respect for each other. We all know businesses are facing tough times. Treating people badly will only make the recovery harder.

About this article

Read time:

4 minutes

Category:

Opinion, Sector knowledge

B2C by name, B2B by nature

Top 5 AI tools for PR & marketing 

Browse more blog posts

Posted on
byRebecca Brown
There are many brands out there that are typically associated with their consumer products, but their heritage actually lies within the B2B market. In most scenarios, the consumer side of the business has grown so big, that it can easily be forgotten that they also sell to a business audience too! GPS specialist and smart watch developer, Garmin, is a...
Posted on
byJack Snell
It’s evident that AI is becoming increasingly beneficial in the daily responsibilities of marketing and PR professionals. Whether it’s streamlining processes or eliminating mundane tasks, there seems to be an AI software tool for everything. But with advancements in AI seemingly happening every day when we log on to work, sometimes it can be hard to keep up, or even...
Posted on
byJack Snell
With summer in full swing, we thought this was the perfect opportunity to have a little fun! Take our quiz and test your knowledge – a perfect excuse to take a well-earned break (we know you marketers are very busy 😉). All answers are at the bottom (no cheating!) And please do let us know your score. PR & marketing...
Posted on
byClaire James
I recently attended a leadership training course where we were asked to define our leadership style and our core values. We were guided through this exercise during the course but it got me thinking about my core values – the things that, when challenged, can prompt a physical reaction and an emotional response. It didn’t take me long to work...
Posted on
byClaire James
The construction sector has long struggled with issues around insolvency. This could, in part, be due to the fact that there are so many sole traders and small firms out there sub-contracting that have struggled financially with the Covid-19 situation and then with the supply chain price increases. But the industry has been sitting at a rate of between 750...
Posted on
byJames Weaver
The fintech industry is renowned for its innovation. In a highly competitive and fiercely contested landscape, connecting with your target audience is crucial, especially when aiming to penetrate a market as dynamic as the UK’s. Therefore, leveraging the power of PR can be a game-changer for your fintech business. Here, we detail how B2B PR can help your fintech brand...
Posted on
byJames Weaver
Times of change are afoot. With the UK general election poised for July 4th, the population of the UK will make a collective decision and if early polls are to be believed, it’s highly likely that we’ll witness a change in government. Experts and political analysts are anticipating that this election will bring a wind of change, and whoever celebrates...
Posted on
byClaire Lamb
OK I admit it, I’m a secret Swifty. I can’t help but admire her. Not only is she a prolific song writer, incredible businesswomen, a true artist and performer, but she can tell a story like no other. I was lucky enough to witness her amazing performance at Wembley on Friday night. (Actually, there was no luck involved in getting...
Posted on
byJames Weaver
HR technology is moving at relentless speed. According to research, the HR tech market is projected to grow from $40.45 billion this year to a staggering $81.84 billion by 2032. With the HR tech landscape becoming increasingly competitive, businesses operating within this industry should prioritise tactics that will help them stand out from the crowd and attract new customers and...
Posted on
byJames Bentley
We recently hosted another LinkedIn Live event in which we learned from experts in their field. Named ‘Look into the tea leaves and find your HR tech story’ in honour of International Tea Day which shared its date, our head of technology practice Lee Simpson spoke to two guests who told us about their B2B HR founders’ stories. This is...

Get in touch

Skout
11 Market Place
Macclesfield
Cheshire
SK10 1EB
Send us a message
Name(Required)

Send us a message