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Redundancy selection matrix

Hi Everyone,

I am interested to hear/see what redundancy selection criteria other HR professionals are using. I will be involved in a large scale redundancy process next year and as an organisation we want to emphasise to staff affected that we value their attitude, performance and team work and that sickness absence, whilst an important factor, doesn't take centre stage in the selection process.

Many thanks,

Clare

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  • Hi Clare

    Personally, I've had positive experiences with weighted points matrix based on as multiple / evidenced / objective ratings as possible: eg teamworking or work rate or attitude or attendance record rate 1 (worst) to 4 (best) then apply weightings to each trait based on the organisation's agreed priorities, so eg you might weight teamworking at x 4 and work rate at x 3 and attitude at x 4 and attendance at x2 and so forth. Provided they are generally fair reasonable and non-unlawfully-discriminatory you can use whatever criteria and weightings are thought appropriate (ideally though consult with those at risk first). Tribunals won't ever want to interfere with criteria, weightings etc  except for latter proviso. Have always used as a rationale for a selection process the need to retain those staff judged most suitable to meet future business needs.

    Spreadsheets such as Excel are invaluable in modelling possible weighted points matrices - altering weighting multiples can have very dramatic effects on individual scores / rankings!

    (Written in haste so more than a bit garbled but hope you get drift!) 

  • In reply to David:

    Don't use attitude
    there is case law, something like ABF v Graham
  • In reply to Peter Stanway:

    Hadn’t been aware of the attitude thing, Peter, so thanks for pointing out - tried to look it up and it’s mentioned here
    www.guildhallchambers.co.uk/.../REDUNDANCY_SELECTION_AND_ALTERNATIVE_EMPLOYMENT_DEBBIE_GRENNAN_GUILDHALLCHAMBERS_Sept2012.pdf

    - doesn’t seem to be a total no-no as opposed to risking straying into too much subjectivity etc
  • In reply to David:

    Peter is quite right to point out the "attitude" thing. IMHO it's safer to focus on objectively observable factors like conduct or behaviour (whiich may well be related to an "attitude".)
    Attitude can at best only be guessed at because it is an internal state of mind; conduct and behaviour may be indicators of a potentially present attitude but should not be considered as objective proof of its existence. The criterion is open to serious challenge due to the subjectivity in assessing/guessing its existence. Describing behaviours or conduct as unacceptable is much easier to defend :-)