Outplacement
So, you’ve had to make the difficult decision to make some of your employees’ roles redundant and have put a lot of time and effort into handling this as sensitively as possible. But did you know that up to a third of your remaining workforce might be experiencing guilt about having a job when others have been let go?
This ‘survivor guilt’ has a far-reaching impact, affecting productivity, engagement, motivation and even the wellbeing of those left behind. You have already had to let people go, so you need your retained staff to be working at their best and, of vital importance, staying with your business. With your HR team already under pressure, it’s unlikely you have the resources to recruit new employees, not to mention the costs incurred.
In this article, we’ll discuss not only how to best approach and manage outplacements with the individuals that are being made redundant, but also how to manage it in the context of your employees that are staying.
Provide as much support as possible
One of the things that can make the biggest difference to those experiencing this form of ‘survivor guilt’, is to know that those who were let go were treated in the best way possible. That means that, throughout the consultation process, you should make the time to answer and address questions, be as transparent as possible and give those affected support from a career expert, to help them move on quickly and confidently. Often, the people that we work with are then able to see this as an opportunity to craft their career in a way that suits them, their lifestyle and their aspirations, turning this point of transition into a real positive.
As a result, those still within your organisation will see how those on the outside really are doing okay, which should help to reduce or eliminate the guilt they experienced, freeing them up to bring their best selves to work and fully commit to the organisation. This all helps you achieve what you set out to do at the start of your restructure – continue to achieve business goals with a reduced headcount.
Reduce anxiety among your remaining people
Restructures can also cause a lot of unrest amongst those left behind, prompting them to think ‘what if I’m next?’ and potentially about leaving when they might not have otherwise. Feeling in control is hugely important for the motivation and engagement of your teams, which directly links to productivity and output. Seeing the effects of a restructure can make staff feel very unsure about just how in control they are of their situation, which could lead to them taking action they may otherwise not have in order to regain that control.
The reassurance that, if the worst happens, they will be looked after by an outplacement provider and career coach – and opening up a positive conversation about consciously setting the direction of their career – helps take some of that uncertainty out of the situation. Instead of worrying about the impact to them, employees are freed up to rededicate themselves to their role and try to make the best of the situation.
Accept that emotions will be high for everyone
Whilst looking after your leavers will have a tremendously positive effect on your retained staff, it’s also important to sensitively acknowledge that it’s not just those affected by lay-offs that are going through the emotions of change. Your remaining people are also going through a transition and will be going through the stages of change, and clearly signposting this is another great way of minimising unrest and boosting productivity. As a redundancy ‘survivor’ it can be difficult to reconcile the conflicting feelings and emotions around this change – gratitude for having a job, yet still being affected by endings and saying goodbye to not only the way things were, but also to colleagues and friends. Having an open conversation about this and offering additional support to help your people come to terms with and thrithe ‘new’ world, thrive through the change is another worthwhile investment.