Project Initiated to Eliminate Costs (Jobs)

Often, the project objective is to save money by cutting costs. Unfortunately, one way to cut costs is to decrease head count; in other words, reduce the number of people working in the business. This is not uncommon and is a situation that you should be prepared to handle. It will present you with some of your most difficult communication challenges.

There are many IT innovations that have decreased the number of business workers in many industries. The ATM has significantly decreased the number of tellers needed at a bank. Word processors and laptop computers have decreased the number of secretarial and administrative positions needed. Online Web sites ask customers to enter their name and address data, which has decreased the number of data entry personnel needed. E-mail and other alternative delivery options have severely cut the volume of the postal service. Many retail stores have installed automated check-out machines so that customers can pay for their purchases without an employee.

When you are assigned to gather requirements for a project with the objective of cutting personnel, try to get as much information from the management team as you can before you start talking with the subject matter experts. Questions should be posed to the PM, executive sponsor, corporate management, human resources management, and any other executive-level people who will be involved in the workforce reduction. You must ask some difficult questions and press for answers. The more you understand about the corporate vision, the better you will be able to deal with the consequences in the business area. Questions that need to be asked include:

• Exactly how many employees are to be eliminated?

• Will the employees be transferred to other positions within the company?

• What types/titles of employees are to be eliminated?

• Have the specific individuals impacted been identified yet?

• What criteria were used to select these individuals?

• Have they been notified yet?

• If the employees are not being transferred to other positions, will they be given any outplacement services? Severance packages?

• When will employees be notified?

It is possible that the answers to these questions have not yet been determined or have not even been thought about or discussed. If they have not been considered, then you have already provided a very valuable service to your organization and to the impacted individuals because you are encouraging the company to think ahead about what will happen to these individuals. Often, a project lasts for several months or more, so the organization has time to try to place these individuals in another area within the company.

It is also possible that decisions about personnel changes cannot be determined yet because a business solution/change has not yet been defined. In these cases, it is important for you to be aware that whatever solution design you recommend will have a direct impact on people in the business area. It may be difficult for you to be objective if you see a solution design that will automate someone out of a job. You must remember that you are working for the organization’s long-term success. Ignoring a good solution that will increase organizational effectiveness just to save someone’s job will make the organization less competitive and may decrease its long-term viability. It may be an extreme thought, but if you save one or two jobs now, you may contribute to the failure of the entire organization in the long run—resulting in a much larger loss of jobs. You must keep an objective perspective.

Typically, workforce reduction goals are outside the responsibility of the BA. This information is often kept confidential until close to the time that the employees will be notified. It is often counterproductive to tell people too far in advance that their jobs are being eliminated. This causes the strongest employees to begin job searches, and they may leave while they are still needed. It also decreases morale and employee productivity as the end date approaches. In addition, the information that these employees provide to you as you are trying to understand the business requirements may be suspect.

Your first goal is to have as much information as possible before meeting with the subject matter experts (SMEs). When you interview the SMEs, be as honest as you can based on management’s direction. If you are unsure about job eliminations and an SME asks you directly, do not lie or try to cover up the possibility of workforce reduction. Acknowledge that one of the project goals is to cut costs and that you are assigned to help improve the business area’s efficiency and effectiveness. Be positive about the project by emphasizing the resulting improvements for the corporation and the long-term health and success of the organization. If you know that some employee transfers will be considered, encourage SMEs to learn as much as possible about the organization and other job openings. Offer to introduce them to people you know in other business units. When SMEs express fear about being fired, encourage them by suggesting that other companies are often looking for qualified workers. Talk about your past job changes and how much happier you were after finding a new job (if it is true). Empathize and be positive. These are the keys to working with people who are worried about their jobs. Also, you can mention that the more helpful an SME is on the current project, the more visibility he or she may have. This increased visibility may open up opportunities for management to gain a new appreciation for the SME’s contributions. Maybe the individual is even interested in becoming a BA like you! Try to remain neutral and be sensitive to the people with whom you are working.

Luckily, BAs are rarely asked if employees should be fired and even more rarely asked which employees should go first, so you shouldn’t have to make these difficult decisions. If you are asked, you may want to talk with the human resources representative before responding. Always be honest, but don’t answer a question if you feel uncomfortable.