Sometimes businesses are forced to restructure and cut staff. We’ve seen this during the COVID-19 crisis, but it can happen at any point in time.
While sometimes unavoidable, the decision to lay off employees can be one of the toughest decisions a company has to make. These are never easy conversations to have, but it’s possible to show both commitment and compassion to impacted employees.
“How?” you ask. By providing them with outplacement services.
Providing outplacement services is an essential step that benefits the impacted employees and the business! Here’s why…
1. It Helps Employees Take The Next Step
Getting laid off is a gut punch and one of the first questions an impacted employee asks is, “What do I do now?” As an employer, you can’t answer that question. But one thing you can do is give the employee the resources to help them answer that question.
Outplacement services typically help people with resumes, LinkedIn profiles, cover letters, and job search and networking strategies. These services are particularly beneficial to those impacted employees who have been with the company for a long time. A lot has changed in the job search game, and these employees have a lot of catching up to do.
Nothing is ever guaranteed, but studies have shown that people who receive outplacement services get hired two times faster than those who don’t. Providing these services shows the impacted employees that, even though you are laying them off, you still care about their professional futures.
Being unemployed is tough, but employers can make it easier by helping their former employees get the resources they need to help them move through the stages of career grief faster and get their job search going in the right direction.
2. It Will Help Morale At The Company
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When a company goes through layoffs, thoughts are naturally with the impacted employees. However, layoffs impact the entire company.
The workforce just lost trusted colleagues and friends. In addition, some people are about to see their job responsibilities change as a result of the layoffs.
The workforce is shaken, perhaps even scared about their own futures at the company, and some will have survivor’s guilt.
Many of the remaining employees will talk with those who are laid off. If the company showed compassion and offered outplacement services to those impacted employees, this will get communicated to the current workforce.
While it doesn’t make the situation any easier, the fact the company did what it could to help the impacted employees can slightly improve the morale of the remaining workforce.
Another thing the company can do to ease the concerns of its workforce after a layoff is to over-communicate. Be as transparent as possible and give them what information you can about the decision and the future of the company.
In order to rally the remaining workforce and move the company forward, these employees need to know the vital role they play in helping the company achieve its goals. These employees need to feel a part of a team.
All of this plays a huge role in the company keeping the trust and respect of their employees.
3. It Reflects Well On The Company
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The company’s employer brand and reputation are two things that may get put on the back burner when a business goes through tough financial times. But eventually, these things will matter again, and the way the company navigates a crisis or restructuring will impact its reputation.
Just because a company lays off employees doesn’t make it a bad business. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic threw many businesses for a loop, but even in normal conditions, businesses have to make adjustments in staffing based on a number of ever-changing factors.
Ultimately, it’s the way the business handles the layoffs that will impact its reputation.
Employees who feel that they were mistreated or shown a lack of compassion during the layoff process will post a review on job review sites like Glassdoor and Indeed.
Job seekers use these sites to research your company’s employee experience, and negative reviews about employees not being treated well during layoffs could cost the company talent in the future.
Giving outplacement will lessen the odds of a former employee writing a negative review about the company. It may even lead to some positive reviews.
Being able to say you made sure every single person got one-on-one job search coaching will show just how much you care for your employees and will reflect well on the company’s reputation.
How To Get Outplacement Services
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Cost has always been a point of contention for companies considering whether or not to use outplacement services. However, over the last few years, technology has made outplacement services more efficient—and cheaper.
Many essential outplacement services such as resume reviews, LinkedIn and cover letter advice, and professional networking are now built into virtual platforms that eliminate the need for in-person services.
And the good news is, Work It Daily is one of them!
Learn more about Work It Daily’s outplacement services and give impacted employees a fighting chance to find work faster in this competitive job market.
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