4 mistakes HR makes when it comes to redundancy

Mistake  1- Offering redundancy support only to junior employees

Many, including senior executives themselves, may question what an outplacement programme can offer those with long, successful careers and strong networks.  In our experience most employees that involuntarily lose their jobs, regardless of their position in the organisational hierarchy, experience feelings of insecurity and anxiety at some point.  Senior executives often take longer to transition into their next role or career change, so may face these feelings of uncertainty for a longer period of time which can quickly impact their confidence and cloud their thinking. Effective career transition support can help employees at all levels in the organisation manage these feelings effectively and equip them with the confidence and ability to map out their future career path.

Mistake 2- Assuming that if an employee has accessed career transition services previously, they will not need support when they experience a job loss again

Regardless of whether it is the first time an employee has involuntarily lost their job or the fifth time, the feelings of uncertainty, fear and anxiety that often accompany redundancy surface. Combine these recurring feelings with a rapidly changing job market and shifting personal goals, and it’s clear why employees can derive great value from career transition support each and every time they experience a job loss.

Myth 3- Not offering employees that you know are not looking for another role any outplacement support.

Outplacement is not just about finding another job. About 20% of people whose roles have been made redundant choose not to go into a new role but opt for a different path. A good outplacement provider will help a transitioning employee put together a robust and well thought through action plan as to how to achieve a ‘successful landing’ whether that landing is a into a new role or whether it involves pursing a different route i.e. self-employment, retirement, education, training or a career break.

Myth 4- Employees that have not lost their jobs during organisational change do not need to access career transition support.

It is very common for those remaining to be as profoundly impacted as those individuals whose roles are made redundant through organisational restructures. These ‘stayers’ suffer a wide range of emotions such as relief, guilt, envy and resentment.

In addition, stayers can feel insecure, demotivated and anxious - all of which have a big impact on performance, sickness absence and accountability.

Good outplacement providers can offer programmes that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of organisations to help the “onlookers” of change effectively deal with the business and personal impacts and improve their resilience.