A recent Wall Street Article entitled “Letting Personnel Go Gets Impersonal Touch” reported the following examples of how some employers are notifying their employees that they will no longer be employed:
- At one company, employees learned about layoffs when they saw people crying at their desks or carrying out boxes filled with personal belongings.
- A software company told their employees to look for a specific calendar notification from their managers.
- An automaker sent emails in the middle of the night, and employees were locked out from their computers – another learned about it in a text.
- Another company fired hundreds of people via Zoom, which was later posted on TikTok and viewed by millions.
In my 40 years of working in the Outplacement field, I thought I had seen it all…
- An employee being fired on Good Friday.
- An employee being told they were going to be terminated the day before her colleagues were planning a celebration for her 20 years of service.
- An employee being told they were no longer going to have their job just months before they were eligible for retirement benefits.
So, WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?
Given the examples above, some leaders are not thinking about the well-being of the individual who has given considerable time and effort to support the organization’s objectives. Nor are they thinking about the severance meeting, and how it will impact the organization’s reputation and culture.
WHAT SHOULD THEY BE THINKING?
The Emotional Impact of Job Loss on The Individual
When an individual loses their job, it’s normal for them to feel hurt, angry, vulnerable, or even betrayed. Work is more than just making a living for most individuals. One’s job influences how one sees oneself, as well as how others view us. It gives us structure, purpose, and meaning in our lives.
As a result, a job loss can be a very stressful experience. Beyond the loss of income, losing a job can mean a loss of professional identity, diminished self-confidence, and the loss of one’s social network as well as the end of a familiar daily routine.
The Impact on An Organization’s Culture
When leaders are focused on building a great organizational culture; they work to ensure the organization’s reputation as a great place to work is maintained, even as reductions in forces or layoffs are occurring. All of this can be destroyed when they do not manage the termination meeting skillfully, as demonstrated in the above examples of poorly managed notifications.
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Here Is Where Your Personal And Corporate Values Are Needed
As a leader, whether you have authorized the termination, or have responsibility for ensuring the transition meeting goes well, make certain you demonstrate you care about your people, even beyond their employment with the organization.
How?
First, provide emotional support for the employee. Begin by providing Outplacement Services and a Career Coach with every severance package that includes the support of an individual who needs to cope with the stress they and their families now face! The impacted person needs guidance from a trained Career Coach who can assist the individual to break through the initial depressed state, accept the situation, and understanding that something good can come out of it.
Second, provide job search support. Navigating the job market can be overwhelming for an individual embarking on a job search independently. A certified Outplacement Career Coach is adept at understanding the nuances of the job market and can provide invaluable insights into how to position oneself effectively and work with them until their job search is complete, no matter how long it takes.
Third, take personal ownership to protect and enhance your organization’s values, culture, and brand by providing Outplacement services to those you transition out of your organization. This benefit demonstrates that you care about your people, even beyond their employment with the organization.
In the future, include Outplacement as part of the severance package by contacting The Center for Leadership Excellence. Learn more by visiting our website at www.cleindy.com/outplacement or contacting Jane Richardson, at (317) 652-1681 or jrichardson@cleindy.com.