You might think that outplacement is only relevant to employees who are being made redundant, or thinking about leaving. Let me share a different perspective.
Due to the complexity of relationships within any company, the knock-on effects of disillusioned employees who are going to be losing their jobs in a few months can be immense. The echo chamber of negativity can be deafening when even a small minority feel that they have something to moan about.
Say that maybe 5% of 500 people in the office are losing their jobs. That is 25 people. It might not sound like a lot, but each of those people will probably have 20-25 friends at work who will care about them and take an interest in their situation. If those fateful 25 feel unloved and ignored, you can be sure that their colleagues will feel differently about their employers. Our work family is a reality for so many of us – and when our brothers or sisters are suffering, we can’t help but lose motivation.
It might even prompt us to start looking for a new job ourselves – in fact, statistics show that up to one third of your workforce that still have jobs might be experiencing the feeling of guilt, aswell as a lack of productivity, engagement and wellbeing as a result of having a job when others have been let go.
Why risk being the next in line to be ‘treated like dirt?’
When times get tougher, it is unlikely that top performers would look to jump ship into the unknown, but this source of negativity can easily be a trigger to make them and the wider community think about it. Companies desperately need to retain their top talent when times get hard, and I would strongly argue that creating a benevolent situation for those losing their jobs offers a significant boost to the wider employee population.
- For a start, they might feel less guilty about keeping their jobs and they might feel more able to participate in what is a process sanctioned by their employers. When an employer says to an employee who is under redundancy “okay, we want to help you find a new job” – it automatically shows everyone else that it is okay to pitch in and help too.
- When job hunting is not a taboo subject in the office, you can turn what is traditionally a negative situation into a positive journey of opportunity. It is our experience that when outplacement is a standard part of the employee experience, those who are leaving get as much help from their colleagues as they do from the outplacement provider.
- When you see the difference that outplacement makes to your colleagues, it allows you to sleep that little bit easier at night. Your employer won’t abandon you and rather than obsess about the “what if,” you can get on with the job at hand.
With so many challenges being faced by businesses and employees at the moment, the last thing you want to worry about is also losing the experienced talent you are counting on to help pull you through the difficulties. By investing in your leavers, you are more likely to also retain those vital the continued smooth running of your business.
Connor is one of the leading outplacement providers in the UK, having helped hundreds of organisations to support thousands of leavers through redundancy and on to their next opportunity. If you would like to discuss redundancy or outplacement in more details with us, you can always get in touch with us via the website (just fill in the form at the bottom of the page) or call +44(0)1491 414010.
