Layoffs are everyone’s worst-case scenario. No one wants to be in this situation, whether you’re a devastated employee that abruptly finds yourself with more free time on your hands or the leader that makes the unhappy decision (we’re looking at you, Braden Wallake.)
If you’re a CEO that has had to make tough business decisions and bid farewell to those who have been integral in shaping your business, you’ve initiated a transition that impacts the future of your company as well as the career trajectory of your former employees. It’s critical that you make a positive impact on your former employee’s exit strategy, for their sake and the company’s.
One way to be proactive is to include an Employee Transition Package in the severance package.
An Employee Transition Package, or outplacement assistance, equips your former workers with the tools they need to take their next career steps. These include skills needed for re-employment, such as polishing their LinkedIn presence, writing a cover letter and resume, preparing for the interview, and negotiating salaries.
This is a good thing for your employees. It’s the right thing to do.
It benefits your employees.
Laid-off employees may feel undervalued and defeated by the prospect of searching for a new job. An Employee Transition Package empowers them to move into the next season of their career with confidence.
It reduces stress. An unexpected departure is overwhelming. It can be difficult to regroup when someone is in shock. You’re giving them tracks to run on so that they’re able to direct their focus, explore their options and take their strategic next steps. It removes uncertainty and helps them structure their time during the transition.
As a leader, you’re modeling your company’s culture. You have their back, and you’re grateful for their contributions. It helps you maintain a culture of appreciation and respect through what can be a difficult transition process for all involved.
You want them to hit the ground running and leave with positive things to say about you and their experiences in your company.
Current team members may lack motivation, worry about burnout, and feel uncertain of their future in your company. For the employees that are staying with the company, it boosts their morale and creates a sense of security. You’ve thought through how the decisions impact the employees that are departing, and you’re offering solutions.
It benefits your company.
Offering these resources can protect your company’s reputation and lessen negative feedback. In the aftermath of recent botched layoffs, former employees raced like Vin Diesel to post on social media- fast and furious. When these companies are ready to rehire for the positions they just streamlined, those TikTok’s of terrible experiences will inform the next round of recruits. Once negative Glassdoor reviews are out there, they’re statistically hard to overcome. Employees are less likely to channel their frustration into lousy public rants if you give them space to ask questions and you refocus their efforts into making the next career move.
On a more sobering note, you don’t want to attract violence or lawsuits. It’s a way to mitigate risks by tangibly communicating that you value all employees.
In the future, if all goes well, you may be in a position to hire your former employees back. You’ll want to leave the possibility open for them to work with you again. You don’t want to burn bridges.
If you’re going through a round of layoffs, restructuring, or furloughs, RecruitGyan works alongside companies to strengthen leadership from the top down, improve public good standing, and revitalize teams’ confidence and morale. Because we work on both ends of the hiring process, we’re well placed to offer three different Employee Transition Packages for your employees that will be leaving your company.
We have a proven methodology to ensure that an application is accepted by the applicant tracking systems on the company side.
We know how to best showcase a candidate’s best skills, abilities, and Emotional Intelligence pieces, so that they stand out as the most desirable candidate in the room.
We can help a candidate apply to a place that best fits their description of a dream job at their dream company- so that they stay and make a true difference.
Our packages are distinctive. We:
- Simplify the hiring process from the candidate’s perspective,
- Use data driven resources to bolster their search,
- Enhance their resume and online presence (LinkedIn),
- Prepare them to navigate the layoff conversation in the interview,
- Provide mindset training,
- Offer resources/recordings and templates/worksheets, and
- Work with them one-on-one to get them prepped for the next stage in their career.
How you treat your employees when they leave is what they’ll remember most. It’s an unfortunate reality. It’s so important for us to do what we can to ensure each team member maximizes their probability of success. Every person in the equation has unique hopes and dreams. Let’s make sure they’re allowed to reach them.
