While layoffs appear to be slowing down, some fields are still hurting.

HR practitioners, for example, have been disproportionately impacted. Now, those often tasked with helping employees through the layoff process need to prepare, mourn, and rebound.

Be prepared. Getting laid off is often among a person’s worst nightmares. No one, not even an HR pro, is guaranteed work, so they should conduct a career assessment once a year and update their resume, according to the New York Times.

Roxy Keshavarznia, a Toronto-based talent acquisition partner with more than a decade in tech HR, told HR Brew about the stress that accompanies career instability. Prior to being laid off in November 2022, she said she could feel it coming. “It was like dating someone who you didn't know was interested in you and you're like, ‘Just break up with me already.’ Like, I'm tired of just waiting and anticipation.”

She tried to get ahead of the situation by coming up with a financial plan with her partner and started applying for jobs, just in case. Some experts recommend putting more money in an emergency savings account and keeping a careful eye on your budget to prepare.

Bouncing back. Greg Martin, an Atlanta-based recruiter, was laid off for the first time in June 2022 and then again in November. He recommended that out-of-work HR pros be patient and thoughtful when applying for jobs.

“Instead of putting out multiple nets in different ponds hoping to catch something, you stretch yourself and may get something you don't want,” he said via email. “My advice is to create the best possible net you can, which will attract the fish you want to swim in your net, and then you can pick and choose what fish you want.”

Keep reading here.—KP

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The website Glassdoor, which gathers anonymous reviews of companies from current and former employees, unveiled new features on July 18 that allow workers to connect anonymously with their colleagues in real time.

Through a revamped app, workers can converse with coworkers and leaders at their company “with varying levels of anonymity,” according to a Glassdoor press release, with the option to identify as an employee at their company, or simply with their job title.

The features, which are not unlike those on the anonymous workplace discussion board Blind, may allow HR professionals to zero in on employee sentiment at their companies. But such anonymous forums have previously posed concerns to some HR leaders who’ve worried they foster negativity. Christian Sutherland-Wong, CEO of Glassdoor, pointed to moderation features built into the product as a means of keeping conversations productive.

Why Glassdoor is pivoting to “bowls.” On Glassdoor, users can now join discussion forums called “bowls” with other members of their company. Company members are verified with their work email addresses, the CEO said. There are also bowls geared toward specific industries and affinity groups, such as “Working Moms” or “Black in Tech.”

The features are intended to replicate water cooler chat that many employees may be missing in a remote or hybrid environment, Sutherland-Wong said.

How HR can use anonymous discussion boards to their advantage. Anonymous discussion and review boards can pose a challenge to HR departments, given they may serve as a space for employees to air unfiltered grievances.

Keep reading here.—CV

There have been countless reports of frontline workers being verbally or physically attacked since 2020. Just take last month’s aggression toward Target workers over Pride merchandise, or the uptick in violence against healthcare workers.

And these incidents appear to be having an impact. Frontline workers, including those employed in retail and healthcare, are afraid for their safety, according to a June report from Verkada, a security company.

Unsafe spaces. The survey found 58% of frontline workers feel the risk of physical harm on the job is rising, and the majority of healthcare (59%) and retail (58%) workers fear being subject to “erratic or aggressive behavior.”

And there appears to be a disconnect between management and their workforces: 67% of leaders said they think their employees feel safe, but just 37% of workers reported actually feeling safe.

HR’s role. Some 43% of surveyed employers said the lack of workplace safety has impacted their recruitment and retention efforts. Jeffrey Pfeffer, professor of organizational behavior at Stanford, told HR Brew that it ultimately falls to HR, as well as the CEO and board, to make sure an environment is safe for workers.

Keep reading here.—KP

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