Public sector bodies ‘must balance redundancies’

An expert from the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) has advised public sector organisations to balance their own skills requirements with individuals' market worth when planning redundancies.

IES director of HR research and consultancy Peter Reilly suggested that those workers who have transferable skills and thus would be most sought-after by private employers are likely to suffer least from being laid off.

"The people you most want to protect are your particularly good performers, but who are also doing roles that actually there aren't many people in the market for," he explained.

Mr Reilly recommended that public sector groups forced to cut staff should first lay off those whose workplace performance is "moderate" and who are carrying out tasks which are commonly in demand among private sector businesses.

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Bosses looking for practical advice on how to monitor staff progress and foster a culture of achievement should consider attending the Performance Management Forum 2011, which will take place in London next February.

Posted by Hayley Edwards