Bronwyn Fryer

«¿Por qué los despidos no se enseñan como asignatura en las escuelas de negocios?» Se preguntó Robin Astrigo. «Los consejos de administración esperan que los ejecutivos lo hagan bien, pero nadie sabe cómo».

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Reprint: R0903A
Astrigo is in trouble. The home improvement chain has missed its earnings forecast badly and sales are falling. A 10% reduction in staff looks like the only choice. Layoffs, however, would undermine the retailer&#8217;s longtime commitment to employees and the ability to provide its famed customer service. But tapping cash reserved for strategic acquisitions goes against the firm&#8217;s values, too. What should the CEO do?
Board advisers Laurence J. Stybel and Maryanne Peabody, of Stybel Peabody Lincolnshire, suggest that the company borrow a page from McDonald&#8217;s and declare Astrigo&#8217;s intention to focus on the interests of long-term shareholders. This move would establish a framework that would help management make tactical decisions with more clarity and flexibility. The company could then use its cash to buy a little time to study the options. If Astrigo can&#8217;t avoid layoffs, a last-in, first-out approach would be the least costly.
Former CEO J&#252;rgen Dormann understands the challenge Astrigo faces. When he took over ABB, the company was in deep distress. After shaking up his executive committee, Dormann personally reached out to all 180,000 employees to enlist their help. They came back with ideas that saved $1.6 billion&#8212;and rescued the company.
Management professor Robert I. Sutton thinks too many executives assume that layoffs are the best way to reduce costs. They don&#8217;t factor in how long it takes to realize the savings from job cuts, the costs to hire and train people once business picks up, or the damage to morale and productivity. Astrigo&#8217;s executives should consider alternatives such as pay cuts, reduced benefits, unpaid time off, and incentives for departure. If layoffs are inevitable, Astrigo should do them quickly, and firing the bottom 10% of employees would be the worst approach.

The Layoff

Reimpresión: R0903A Astrigo tiene problemas. La cadena de mejoras para el hogar no ha cumplido con creces su previsión de beneficios y las ventas están cayendo. Una reducción del 10% en la plantilla parece la única opción. Sin embargo, los despidos socavarían el compromiso de larga data del minorista con los empleados y la capacidad de ofrecer su famoso servicio de atención al cliente. Pero utilizar el efectivo reservado para adquisiciones estratégicas también va en contra de los valores de la empresa. ¿Qué debe hacer el CEO? Los asesores del consejo de administración Laurence J. Stybel y Maryanne Peabody, de Stybel Peabody Lincolnshire, sugieren que la empresa tome prestada una página de McDonald's y declare la intención de Astrigo de centrarse en los intereses de los accionistas a largo plazo. Esta medida establecería un marco que ayudaría a la dirección a tomar decisiones tácticas con más claridad y flexibilidad. La empresa podría entonces utilizar su dinero para ganar un poco de tiempo y estudiar las opciones. Si Astrigo no puede evitar los despidos, el enfoque del último en entrar y el primero en salir sería lo menos costoso. El exdirector ejecutivo Jürgen Dormann entiende el desafío al que se enfrenta Astrigo. Cuando se hizo cargo de ABB, la empresa estaba sumida en graves problemas. Tras reorganizar su comité ejecutivo, Dormann contactó personalmente a los 180 000 empleados para solicitar su ayuda. Regresaron con ideas que ahorraron 1.600 millones de dólares y rescataron a la empresa. El profesor de administración Robert I. Sutton cree que demasiados ejecutivos asumen que los despidos son la mejor manera de reducir los costes. No tienen en cuenta el tiempo que se tarda en ahorrar con los recortes de puestos de trabajo, los costes de contratar y formar a las personas una vez que los negocios se recuperan o el daño a la moral y la productividad. Los ejecutivos de Astrigo deberían considerar alternativas como recortes salariales, reducción de las prestaciones, tiempo libre no remunerado e incentivos para la salida. Si los despidos son inevitables, Astrigo debería hacerlo rápido, y despedir al 10% de los empleados más pobres sería el peor enfoque.

El despido

Reprint: R0903A Astrigo is in trouble. The home improvement chain has missed its earnings forecast badly and sales are falling. A 10% reduction in staff looks like the only choice. Layoffs, however, would undermine the retailer’s longtime commitment to employees and the ability to provide its famed customer service. But tapping cash reserved for strategic acquisitions goes against the firm’s values, too. What should the CEO do? Board advisers Laurence J. Stybel and Maryanne Peabody, of Stybel Peabody Lincolnshire, suggest that the company borrow a page from McDonald’s and declare Astrigo’s intention to focus on the interests of long-term shareholders. This move would establish a framework that would help management make tactical decisions with more clarity and flexibility. The company could then use its cash to buy a little time to study the options. If Astrigo can’t avoid layoffs, a last-in, first-out approach would be the least costly. Former CEO Jürgen Dormann understands the challenge Astrigo faces. When he took over ABB, the company was in deep distress. After shaking up his executive committee, Dormann personally reached out to all 180,000 employees to enlist their help. They came back with ideas that saved $1.6 billion—and rescued the company. Management professor Robert I. Sutton thinks too many executives assume that layoffs are the best way to reduce costs. They don’t factor in how long it takes to realize the savings from job cuts, the costs to hire and train people once business picks up, or the damage to morale and productivity. Astrigo’s executives should consider alternatives such as pay cuts, reduced benefits, unpaid time off, and incentives for departure. If layoffs are inevitable, Astrigo should do them quickly, and firing the bottom 10% of employees would be the worst approach.

El despido

Resumen.

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