Many businesses have been trying to ride out the recession through various cost-cutting methods, most notably layoffs. However, some companies are finding that they can no longer keep cutting jobs.

Instead, many companies are turning to employee redeployment to decrease costs and minimize layoffs. By shuffling employees and redefining their roles, companies also have had the benefit of sustaining a somewhat higher company morale than if they laid more people off, the Boston Globe reports. Additionally, redeployment has enabled some companies to fill key positions that can't be left vacant despite the downturn, as well as jobs that became available because of changes in demand.

According to the Boston Globe, human resources executives say there's not enough data to determine if redeployment is a growing trend, but John Challenger, CEO of outsourcing consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., said more clients are talking about shifting workers' jobs.

Suzanne M. Bump, Massachusetts' Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, also told the Boston Globe that she expects worker redeployment to rise because of the increasing cost of recruiting and training new employees. This process usually costs 20 percent to 40 percent of a new employee's salary, the Boston Globe notes.

Typically, unless there are specific pre-agreed-upon roles or if the employees are part of a union with a collective bargaining agreement, employers can change their workers' responsibilities as they see appropriate, the Boston Globe's JobDoc explains.

Despite having a grasp on company culture, redeployed employees must adjust to their new roles and perhaps new coworkers. If you've recently been moved to a new post within your organization, here are a few recommendations for how to adjust to your somewhat new surroundings.

Clarify New Responsibilities
Discuss with your new manager your responsibilities and how they fit into the grand scheme of things, Advertising & Marketing Review (AMR) advises. Check back with him or her three to four weeks into your new position to ensure you're on the right track. It's important that you and your supervisor be on the same page about your objectives and the expectations that come with your new role.

Create the Working Environment You Want
Along with having clear expectations about your role, you should also ensure you have the boss/worker relationship you want. "Get specific about the working relationship you'd like to create, defining a vision statement for your work environment," the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune says. "Use this to keep yourself on track with your new boss. ... Be ready to tell her more about yourself so that she'll be able to work effectively with you, too."

In the same regard, find out his or her management style. See if he or she prefers e-mail or instant message, how reports should be provided and how day-to-day issues should be handled. "Enter your new working relationship with a spirit of partnership," the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune notes. "It'll help your new boss and get you off on the right foot."

Be Observant and Open
Spend a couple weeks studying how the new people you work with perform. "Notice whether your colleagues or manager accept calls or respond to e-mail from home," AMR says. "[D]o people leave for lunch or do they eat at their desks? When do colleagues arrive at work and when do they depart? Adopt these unwritten company rules as your own."

Pay attention to how people act during meetings to get a feel for how the group functions. For example, if you moved from a team that was loud to a team that is more reserved, shouting out ideas during meetings may result in negative attention.

Another way to figure out how things work in your new department is to get to know the people on your team, especially those you'll need to rely on heavily, AMR adds. "[B]e friendly with your colleagues. Take time to chat in the copy room. ... Ask senior colleagues for input ... get to know people, and let them know you," Reassigned Time blog says.

This will allow you to develop relationships with people whose support you'll eventually need and who will need your support as well.

Don't Forget Your Old Department
Don't forget about the coworkers you leave behind, public relations specialist Robert Peek writes of his intra-office move. Offer those you are leaving behind some tips and tricks if they have to assume some or all of your duties, but don't continually go back to your old department to check up on how they're coping without you. Instead, avail yourself if they need your help.

Additionally, transferred employees should introduce key coworkers from their old department to the new one to facilitate relationships, share best practices and mistakes to avoid, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution says. "Relationships are a person's best asset," the Atlanta-Journal Constitution continues. "They transcend across time, geography and functions and roles. They are enormous enablers to getting things done."

Don't Be a Doormat
This goes for both your old and new department. It may be that you want to say "yes" to everything your new role is thrown, but being a good colleague does not equal being a doormat, Reassigned Time blog insists. "Always first think about the request and then give a response after a 24-hour thinking period — you will thank yourself later." The same goes for your old department requesting your help.

Change is not usually an easy thing, especially if it was thrust upon you. However, with open communication and an open mind, transitioning and adapting to a new environment should be easier.

Resources

New Job, Same Company
by Nicole C. Wong
The Boston Globe, March 20, 2009

Changing Jobs at Company's Request
Posted by Pattie Hunt Sinacole
The Boston Globe's JobDoc, Feb. 2, 2009

Culture Clash: Fitting In at a New Job
by Eric Kimble
Advertising & Marketing Review

Seamless Transitions
by Laura Raines
Atlanta-Journal Constitution

Same Old Job, But a New Boss: How Can You Adjust?
by Liz Reyer
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, May 24, 2009

Same Company; New Job? How to Do it Right.
by Robert Peek
Robert Peek's Blog, July 11, 2008

So You're about to Start a Job with a 4-4 Load
Reassigned Time blog, May 29, 2009