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QUESTION:
How Do You Help Those Who Depend(ed) On You?

          Today we have all come to expect . . .

                   Economic change.

                             Organizational change.

While you can plan, prepare, cut expenses and conserve, and survive... it's your employees who will experience the greatest impact, especially if the solution requires significant restructuring or downsizing.

Then . . . When the reduction decision is made . . .

• We'll help you plan and manage the sensitive, often complex chain of events that accompany employee separations - whether it's one or many.
• We offer a FREE "How To" Layoff Notification Guide to assist you and those engaged in actually delivering the termination message. To request your FREE copy Click Here.
• We'll help your employees deal with and manage their career transition in the most sensitive and effective way possible - always focusing on their desired objectives and goals.
• We'll help remaining employees plan for and manage their immediate futures - remembering that most organizational change has a direct impact on morale and productivity.

Since 1981, we've been helping organizations help their employees move forward with their lives. And when it comes to outplacement . . . we've learned three important themes that are repeated over and over again:

• Employees want to be treated fairly and with dignity.
• They want to feel as valued in transition as they were during their tenure.
• They want to know that their previous employer cares about their future.

When employees are able to transition away from their previous organization quickly, these expectations are met. When these expectations are not met, lingering anger towards the organization and other emotional obstacles remain that block the employee's ability to move forward with her/his life and professional career.

One independent study concludes:

"long after the event, terminated employees remember how they were treated, more than the details of the severance arrangements."

So, How do you help them?

ANSWER:
Communicate and Address Expectations.

• Do the little things that preserve dignity like responding to questions quickly, respecting privacy and trusting the employee's integrity to act professionally.
• Provide timely, complete and accurate information regarding the details of the separation.
• Have one point of contact for questions and communication with the employee. Make sure the point of contact is familiar with the specific terms of the employee's transition agreement.
• Supply and clarify the details of the outplacement support being offered and provide the needed guidance to take full advantage of that support.
• Make an effort to follow up after a short delay, to ensure that closure has taken place and that the employee is receiving the full benefit of the outplacement service provided.

We know that difficult termination decisions may be necessary and that your employees are emotionally fragile until the closure process is complete. Taking the "high road" usually comes down to common sense basics that mirror how we would want to be treated in similar circumstances. These actions usually don't take a lot of time and don't have to cost a great deal of money, but they may go a long way to preserve the dignity of the individual.

As we have all seen, when appropriate communication and everyone's expectations are met, your organization reaps the long-term reward of creating an expanding community of current ex-employees who think and speak well of you to friends and business associates.

View Testimonials Here

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