Letting people go during a company restructure is difficult, but here’s how companies can lend a hand to employees during difficult times.

Restructuring is a difficult process for any organisation to go through, as it usually spells redundancies. Whether it is a case of firing one or hundreds of people, it is a difficult experience for both employee and employer. So how can companies ease the experience? What can be done to be a more responsible employer?

Sizing up the situation

The ideal scenario would be to find new employment for the staff that sadly have to be let go in the process. It is not as simple as opening up the job pages and picking out new positions. However companies can help ease those ex-employees back into the job market.

This is where outplacement support comes in. A relatively new concept, which seems to be sweeping Asia, provides the emotional and practical support former employees need to get them through this difficult time in their career. And it is not something that is limited to a certain sector. All industries from finance to hospitality are seeing the need to counsel their redundant staff through the change process, as well as equip them with the skills they require to find a new job.

However during this crisis, the HR department will be going through an already tough time due to the increase in workload as a result of the restructuring process.

Outplacements

Outplacement support should very much be tailored to the individual organisation’s needs. Although each situation is different, the principles of outplacement support remain the same. Outplacement programmes are designed to provide career support and guidance for people who are facing redundancies.

This allows the company to show a real sense of responsibility and accountability when they help employees come to terms with redundancy. For many individuals, receiving specialised career support can turn their redundancy into a positive experience by identifying all the opportunities available to them.

When it comes down to it, job cuts are never good for a company’s image. Therefore doing everything in your power to find alternative employment for your former employees can help limit negativity towards the company. After all, you may want to rehire them at a later date or they may even be a customer.

Whether it is the CEO or the doorman losing their job, being made redundant is a shock to the system. Therefore counselling is just as important as providing practical skills to help them with their job search.

Being made redundant is nothing to be ashamed of. I think it’s important to remind the casualties in this process that a large number of the current workforce has been in the same position at some stage in their career and employers really do not look down upon redundancy if there is a valid reason.

Providing counselling gives people a chance to air their anxieties and apprehensions. Giving time to adjust to the change is important however this is where the practical support kicks in. We must make sure that they see that all is not lost; that they have a great number of skills a new employer would very much like to take advantage of.

We tend to put together programmes that work on the career transition such as providing career counselling, interview training and advice on resume writing. Naturally it is necessary to target the workshops or briefings sessions to your audience and the position they previously held.

Generally speaking, it is easier to run career transition workshops where there are no more than 15 people to a workshop, explaining the various ways of finding a new job - through networking, newspapers, internet and recruitment agencies. Companies can also look through resumes and cover letters to make sure employees are marketing themselves in the right way, as highlighting their strengths and role playing are crucial elements used to get the out-placed staff prepared for interviews.

Individual career assistance is more intensive and normally takes one to two hours, which is tailored to the individual, to talk them through their options. Psychology assessment and psychometric testing can also be introduced in order to identify their strengths and what future positions would suit their character best.

The benefit for the former employees is obvious when you outsource outplacement support to a recruitment firm. Not only are they being coached for future employment by recruitment experts but they are also added to a candidate database where their resumes will automatically be sent out to prospective employers. Future employment can not be guaranteed but it is certainly a good step in the right direction.

The ‘survivor’ syndrome

But what about those people left behind – the “survivors”? How do they feel about working for a company that has just made a number of their colleagues and friends redundant?

Staff morale is obviously going to be lower as a result of the job cuts therefore it is important to make sure the organisation looks after the “survivors” as well. They need to be reassured that their position is safe and that they have a healthy future with the company.

It is very common for the remaining staff to feel a sense of guilt – why were they spared? More often than not, they feel that if it can happen to their friends and colleagues then it could well happen to them in future.

It is crucial, therefore, to set up individual briefing sessions where they can talk about any issues they may have confidentially. Naturally staff are going to feel a lot more comfortable doing this with someone they don’t know and who is not connected to the company.

Outplacement support should not just be seen as a PR exercise that is undertaken by an organisation who wishes to limit the damage the corporate image may receive due to the restructuring. Yes, it can help improve internal and external perceptions of the organisation however it should always firstly be about putting your staff, present or past, first.

Kathy Peebles

HR Services

Links Recruitment

www.linksrecruitment.com

Case study: CARING CASINO