“The workshops were great, I feel a lot more confident about the future now and what I need to do to get another job.”
The brief
Our client, a manufacturing company specialising in the automotive market, was required to close their UK operations following a decision to move production to mainland Europe. Over 500 employees were impacted, from production line operatives through to senior management. As a key employer in the region, the company employed multiple generations of families, including individuals with 40+ years’ service.
Our client’s objective was to maintain engagement and productivity of employees over a 2 year transition period while operations were relocated, while ensuring they were able to provide all staff with high-quality, relevant support, whatever their level in the organisation and whether they wanted to find another job, set up their own business, or plan for retirement.
Our approach
NFP partnered with the client, assigning a dedicated project manager for the duration of the project who spent up to 1 day a week on site during peak times. Our project manager built a strong and trusted relationship with key stakeholders, managing logistics and operations throughout and flexing as required when timescales evolved.
The majority of employees were supported through a series of workshops and 1:1 coaching support to help them identify what they wanted to do next and create a plan to make it happen. Sessions covered practical job search topics like CV writing and harnessing LinkedIn effectively; entrepreneurial skills like how to create a business plan and launch; to broader life planning, including understanding their view of a fulfilled and healthy retirement. Employees could access the support on an ongoing basis for the duration of the transition and beyond. They also had unlimited access to NFP’s online career centre, as well as bespoke resilience support workshops.
Senior managers were offered enhanced 1:1 outplacement support with dedicated, peer-matched and experienced career coaches, working alongside each individual until they secured their next opportunity.
To help the project run smoothly throughout, NFP delivered training to equip the HR team with the knowledge and skills to conduct all the consultation meetings. We also helped manage communications to the Unions, employee reps and employees to explain the service, and ‘Manage through Change’ workshops to support leaders with the transition.
What we delivered
- A site-based project manager embedded in the client team
- Ongoing 1:1 coaching and targeted workshops for employees at all levels
- Senior-level outplacement support with matched coaches
- Unlimited access to NFP’s online career centre
- Resilience workshops and emotional wellbeing support
- Consultation training for the HR team
- Communications support and change leadership workshops for line managers
Business outcomes
- 84% of impacted employees engaged with at least one element of the Outplacement support
- 100% of those were supported until they moved into the next step in their career
- All employees either agreed or strongly agreed that the support was beneficial to their career transition
- The client maintained productivity and engagement throughout the two-year wind-down, with reduced disruption and positive feedback from staff
What the client said
Employee feedback:
“The workshops were great, I feel a lot more confident about the future now and what I need to do to get another job.”
“I haven’t needed a CV in over 15 years so had no idea where to start. The workshop was useful, and after my 1:1 session I now have a great CV that I can feel proud of.”
“It’s good to be supported with how I’m feeling during this uncertain time and how to keep positive, not just on how to do a good CV.”
Get in touch
If you're managing a large-scale site closure and want expert support to help your people move on confidently, contact us to learn how NFP can partner with you every step of the way.