Written by Katya Firyan, co-founder of Writitude
We continue our experiments by feeding Writitude prompts to ChatGPT 4, in order to get better texts, faster.
This time we decided to test the Empathy First tone of voice from the Writitude’s library and write an email declaring a drastic layoff in a company.
Writing often has a lot of similarities with the work of a sculptor — you put your main idea down, then you add something, you rewrite other parts or take something away.
And in the end, there is fine-tuning, word replacement, and final tweaks.
Luckily, there is Writitude to tell exactly what should be added, taken away or replaced in order for your text to comply with your brand’s tone of voice.
Laying off employees is never easy for a company, and declaring about it is a tricky and vital element in crisis management.
To handle the task we chose Empathy First tone of voice that puts emphasis on acknowledging feelings, building trust, creating and maintaining relationships, and is best suited for customer support texts, apologies, layoffs and crisis management communication in general.
Round 1 — a general request by a human
Dear Chat, I need to lay off 30 employees — please write an email delivering the news.
ChatGPT 4: Subject: Important Company Update: Workforce Reductions Dear [Company Name] Team,
I hope this email finds you in good health and high spirits. It is with a heavy heart that I must share some difficult news that will impact our organization. Due to the current economic climate and recent unforeseen challenges our company has faced, we have been forced to make the tough decision to reduce our workforce. This decision is not one that was made lightly, and it comes after careful deliberation and analysis of our company's financial situation.
Unfortunately, this means that 30 of our valued team members will be laid off, effective [date of layoff]. We understand the emotional and financial distress this may cause, and we want to assure you that we are taking measures to ensure a fair and transparent process during this challenging time.
The affected employees will be informed through individual meetings with their respective managers in the coming days. We have partnered with an outplacement service to provide support and assistance in transitioning to new employment opportunities. This service will offer guidance on job searches, resume updates, interview preparation, and networking strategies.
For those who will continue to work with us, please know that this decision was not taken in haste. We are committed to doing everything possible to support our employees during this difficult period. In the coming weeks, we will work closely with each department to ensure a smooth transition and maintain operational efficiency.
We understand that the news of layoffs can create uncertainty and concern. We encourage open communication and invite you to share your thoughts, ideas, and concerns with your managers, HR representatives, or myself. We are committed to being transparent about the situation and addressing any questions you may have.
In the face of adversity, our company has always demonstrated resilience and adaptability. It is our belief that together, we can overcome these challenges and emerge stronger than ever. We appreciate your understanding, cooperation, and support as we navigate this difficult time.
If you have any questions or need additional support, please do not hesitate to reach out to your manager, HR representative, or directly to me.
Thank you for your continued dedication and commitment to [Company Name].
Sincerely, [Your Name] [Your Title] [Company Name]
“Workforce Reductions” — seriously, Chat? I don’t think anyone would like to be called “workforce” and feel not miserable when being “reduced”. This email is not helpful — the text is convoluted, has repetitions in it, and doesn’t really convey how sorry we all are as an imaginary board of directors. Such an email would make many people unhappy and even angry, as it seriously lacks empathy. Let’s see what Writitude thinks about it.
Picture: This is how Writitude’s prototype looks in April 2023, before the launch
Yes, we and Writitude are of the same mind — the sentences are way too complex, the text lacks emotions and the flow is far from perfect. Let’s put everything into a prompt for Mr Chat.
Round 2 — a request to ChatGPT, using a prompt from Writitude
Dear Chat, please write the same letter, but 1) use easy-to-understand sentences 2) eliminate rare and unusual words — consider replacing them with more common alternatives 3) limit the use of abstract terms that make the text less vivid — replace the abstract concept with a more concrete, tangible alternative 4) don’t use passive voice — turn it into an active voice 5) avoid repetitions (like the one about the HR representatives) 6) and the text also needs to be way more emotional, as we are deeply sorry. Please, also make the email shorter and add the name of the company — CompanAI.
ChatGPT 4: Subject: CompanAI: Sad News – Job Cuts Dear CompanAI Family,
I hope you are well. I'm writing this with a heavy heart to share some tough news. Our company is facing hard times and we must cut jobs to save money. This was not an easy choice, and we feel very sad about it.
Sadly, we have to let go of 30 team members on [date of layoff]. We know this will hurt, and we're truly sorry. We want to be fair and open during this hard time.
Managers will talk to the people who will lose their jobs soon. We want to help them find new jobs, so we've joined with a service that can help. They will give advice on looking for jobs, fixing resumes, preparing for interviews, and meeting new people.
If you're not losing your job, we need your help to keep things running smoothly. We know it's not easy, but we can face these challenges together. Please talk to your managers, the HR team, or me if you have any questions or worries.
Thank you for your hard work and loyalty to CompanAI. We are very grateful and sorry for the pain this causes.
Warm regards, [Your Name] [Your Title] CompanAI
Yes, we feel much better already — now it looks like the email was written by an actual person with a heart. It’s important to add somewhere that the company did everything possible to prevent layoffs. Let’s also rewrite the subject and get rid of the first sentence, cutting to the chase straight away. As well as the sentence about those not losing their jobs looks a bit out of place. In addition to that, let’s see what Writitude has in store for us in terms of further prompts.
As usual, Writitude wants more emotionality in texts (a thing that makes us human!) as well as there are some words that are repeated. I guess, we can now finalize this text ourselves.
Round 3 — a final result tweaked by a human
Subject: sad, sad news — CompanAI facing layoffs
Dear CompanAI Family,
I'm writing this with a heavy heart to share some tough news. Our company is facing hard times and despite all our efforts to prevent it and find another way, we must cut jobs for the CompanAI to continue its work. This was not an easy choice, and there are no words to express how deeply sad we feel about it.
During the next two months, we have to let go of 30 team members. We know this will hurt, and we're truly sorry. We want to be fair and open as much as possible during this hard period. In the next week, managers will talk to the people who will lose their jobs and explain what will happen next. We want to help you find new jobs, so we've joined with a service that can guide you and make the transition much smoother. They will advise on setting up your further career objectives, looking for suitable jobs, fixing resumes, preparing for interviews, and meeting new people.
We know it's not easy, but we can and will face these challenges together. Please talk to your managers, the HR team, or me if you have any questions or worries.
Thank you for your hard work and loyalty to CompanAI. We are very grateful and sorry for the pain this causes to all of us.
Warm regards, [Your Name] [Your Title] CompanAI
All in all, it took about 5 minutes for ChatGPT and Writitude to make a final draft and another 15 minutes for a writer to polish it. Such intricate communication, however, is never something that should be written and sent in a hurry and usually takes days and weeks to produce.
Again, only a person who knows the context of such a sensitive text can (and should!) finalize it, adding a personal touch. As usual, the author is the most essential part of the text-writing team.
(By the way — this article was written by a real person!)
