by Mike McVay
Radio Ink
August 14, 2024
(By Mike McVay) The acronym RIF stands for Reduction In Force. Of military origin, it’s used mostly as an action verb, and it brings with it a feeling of despair, angst due to an uncertain future, and life change when it affects anyone in radio.
The change can be dramatic. Families are impacted. If relocation is necessary, children change schools. Lifestyles are altered. And for many, it means coming to a decision point that leads to a change in career.
We’ve seen RIF headlines on an almost daily basis this summer. The largest companies, especially those that are publicly traded, have been the most active in reducing their workforce. However, radio groups and individual clusters of all sizes have been active in eliminating jobs and allowing natural attrition to take place by not replacing those who have exited a position.
The result is the same: fewer positions for qualified and experienced people. Be it On-Air, Sales, Engineering, Digital/Social, Marketing & Promotion, Traffic, Administration, or part of a support staff team. Radio, and all forms of media, are seeing “Shrinkflation” of the Workforce.
Believe me when I share that I’ve seldom met anyone who enjoys terminating someone. It’s a terrible part of the management position. Terminating someone whose only downfall is that they’re a number on a spreadsheet is one of the most unfair things faced by employers and executives in any business. It is beyond the control of the employee and oftentimes that of the executive enacting the termination. The terminator is aware of the negative impact they’re having on the individual being terminated.
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