how to plan for restructuring.

Restructuring is one of the most complex and visible challenges an organization can face. How it is planned and managed sets the tone for how employees, leaders and the market perceive the company for years to come. Mismanaged exits can damage culture and brand reputation, making it harder to attract and retain talent, while well-planned transitions preserve trust and continuity. That balance begins with careful planning — embedding redeployment and outplacement early, equipping leaders, and managers and ensuring every step is guided by clarity and care.

Redeployment first preserves critical skills and institutional knowledge, shortens ramp time, reduces recruiting and onboarding costs, and sustains productivity and culture. When redeployment isn’t possible, outplacement demonstrates care and fairness, helping employees find new opportunities more quickly while protecting your employer brand, digital reputation and the morale of those who remain. 

Taking a holistic view — applying the same coaching, branding and mobility tools across internal moves and supported exits — demonstrates that every option was explored, reduces legal and compliance risk, and builds trust with employees, customers and stakeholders. In short, being deliberate about your options turns a difficult moment into a credible, values-led transition that protects both people and performance.

Choosing the right path isn’t a box to check; it’s a leadership decision with lasting cultural, operational and reputational impact.

Redeployment: Move employees into new roles internally to preserve skills, retain institutional knowledge and sustain culture.

Outplacement: Provide human-led, technology-enhanced support when reductions are unavoidable, so employees land faster and your brand is protected.

One partner, two paths: Use the same coaching, branding and mobility tools for internal moves and supported exits to deliver a consistent, fair experience.

Alternatives to layoffs: 

• Use furloughs or shorter hours to manage costs while retaining talent for future recovery.
• Retrain and reassign employees to roles aligned with evolving business needs.
• Rebalance vendor and contractor work to keep core employees engaged.
• Rely on natural attrition, where possible, to avoid unnecessary reductions.

Redeployment and outplacement are most effective when integrated from the start. Early activation enables smooth handoffs to your provider’s delivery team — including coaches, branding experts and job-matching specialists — and immediate employee support, while ensuring data privacy and compliance are consistently managed.

• Immediate access to support: Employees who receive outplacement support on notification day can start working with coaches and tools immediately, reducing anxiety and uncertainty.
• Clear communication: Managers can explain resources confidently, making difficult conversations more constructive and effective.
• Brand protection: Early integration signals foresight and care to employees, stakeholders and the market.
• Reduced disruption: Remainers stay more engaged when they see colleagues treated with dignity and fairness.

Use these seven questions to align leaders, set scope and make informed decisions upfront. Answer them before creating timelines or scripts, so your process stays clear, consistent and compliant. Revisit them as facts change to keep the plan grounded.

Effective restructuring starts well before notifications. Preparation creates a single source of truth and a clear governance cadence, ensuring that decisions are compliant, consistent and respectful. If you require executive approval to begin, draft a brief preliminary case, then finalize it with the cross-functional team.

Communication is the backbone of your plan. Define who says what to whom and when, so that impacted employees receive private, dignified notifications first. Ensure remaining employees, customers and investors receive clear, consistent updates. Align scripts, FAQs, letters and external statements in advance and deliver them in accessible formats and languages.

• Messaging: Craft compassionate, plain-language explanations of what’s changing and why. Acknowledge impact and protect relationships and brand.
• One-on-one employee meetings: Deliver notifications in private, manager-led conversations with HR present, allowing time for questions.
• Company-wide internal communication: Share an all-hands update on what it means for teams and where to find support. 
• Employee notification letters: Confirm decisions and outline final pay, payouts, benefits and outplacement next steps. 
• Investor communication: Coordinate with investor relations to ensure accurate, compliant disclosures. 
• External communication: Provide a consistent statement for customers, partners and media that emphasizes responsibility, care and business continuity.

Notification day is one of the most sensitive moments in workforce transition management. A precise run-of-show — including time-zone sequencing, private meetings and aftercare — ensures consistency, empathy and professionalism. Build in accessibility and aftercare to ensure people have ongoing support beyond the initial conversation.

• Deliver with clarity and empathy: Equip managers with scripts; schedule private one-on-ones with HR present.
• Activate outplacement immediately: Provide enrollment details on the same day so impacted employees can begin immediately.
• Staff an HR help desk: Offer real-time support during and after notifications to resolve urgent issues.
• Prepare external communications: Align consistent messaging for customers, partners and media to protect brand reputation.

Restructuring is experienced most directly through leaders and managers. Equip them with a clear change story — the why, how and what it means — plus talking points, FAQs and office hours, so they can balance transparency with empathy.

• HR leaders: Provide frameworks, ensure compliance and embed outplacement early to reduce legal and cultural risk.
• Business leaders: Communicate the rationale with clarity, show accountability and set the tone for empathy.
• Managers: Deliver consistent messages, answer questions and provide frontline support; their behavior often defines how the experience is remembered.

After notifications, focus on the day-after experience to protect morale, retain talent and help every employee move forward with confidence. Turning a difficult moment into proof of your values builds trust and stability.

• Ensure transparency: Clear, ongoing communication keeps teams informed and reassured.
• Lead by example: Professionalism, empathy and respect from senior leadership set the tone.
• Provide counseling and support: Outplacement professionals support impacted employees and those who remain.
• Offer upskilling and coaching: Reskilling and redeployment prepare remainers for new tasks and future roles.
• Build a coaching culture: A coaching mindset broadens capabilities and unlocks potential.

1. Have you defined scope and selection — who is impacted and why — along with estimated volumes by group and level?
2. What consultation and legal requirements apply across locations, and how will you meet or exceed them?
3. What is your timeline and sequencing — including leadership prep, manager enablement and notification dates — across different time zones?
4. Who will deliver notifications, and are managers trained with scripts, FAQs and escalation paths?
5. What level of redeployment and outplacement support will you provide by role, and how will employees access it on their first day?

1. Treat restructuring as both a business and people decision — one that employees, customers and stakeholders will remember.
2. Equip leaders and managers with training, scripts and tools to communicate consistently and compassionately.
3. Integrate redeployment and outplacement from the start to protect the employer brand, reduce disruption and demonstrate integrity.

• how do career transitions work today?
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• what is redeployment?
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