By Byron Mackelroy

Defining a clear human resources strategy is key to long-term success during the current economic downturn. Some companies have to make the difficult decision of who to let go, while others face the daunting task of sifting through a mountain of job applications for any position they have open.

For those companies scrambling to stay afloat, analyze each job task and determine the business functions that have the most redundancy. Letting someone go is always a difficult decision, so make sure you act intelligently when you are forced to downsize.