What do you see when you see employees—costs to be cut or assets to be developed? If recent figures on employment downsizing are any indication, the vast majority of American executives see employees as costs to be cut—and they have been cutting vigorously in the last several years. In 2002, there were approximately 15,000 mass layoffs involving 50 or more employees, and almost 2 million employees were affected. The figures were similar in 2001.But downsizing the workforce is not a corporate cure-all. In fact, downsizing can often weaken an organization. There are alternatives, though, and some employers are finding a “no-layoff payoff.”
