Whatever the reason for it, laying off employees is never a good thing or fun experience for anyone. Maybe your company was expanding and you hired too many people or on the other hand, your business is not going as well as you wanted. Then you have to tell loyal people (keeping employees is rated as a big problem for at least 58% of American companies) that you have to let them go. No, this is not fun for anyone. One of the things you can do is look at outplacement companies to help those employees transition and get on with their careers.
What are outplacement companies?
When employees first learn that they are being let go, there is a tendency to think that their career is totally over. Outplacement companies come in and help them. They help them by showing them the ropes in a job market that may have changed dramatically since they were last in it. They can be very helpful for people who have not had to look for a job in a very long time. For long time staff members, the idea of going back into that world may feel a lot like jumping into a shark tank covered in fish guts. Outplacement companies make that transition a little less scary.
There are other ways to make the process easier on you both. Here are some of them:
Let your staff know about the outplacement options you are offering. Send this around a few times and put it everyone. Put a posted in the break room. If you see that your employees are not taking advantage in the outplacement services you are giving them, you should ask why. If you are only laying off a few people, contact them directly. If you are laying off an entire office, department or branch, have a meeting with everyone. Have the outplacement consultant on hand to answer any questions. Make that person’s contact information available to everyone. They may be shy or nervous and probably are feeling vulnerable but being proactive in helping them with help both of you feel better about everything.
In outplacement, one size does not fit all. You do not have to offer everyone the same plan. Everyone will need some kind of help but what kind that is will vary as much as the individuals you are letting go. Job coaching may be great for some but definitely not all. Have the outplacement consulting firm hold meetings with the staffer members and find out what exactly would be the most beneficial to them. The company you have hired may already plan to do this but make sure it happens.
Help in other ways. Make sure they know they will get good recommendations but also help with networking. Let your network know you are letting people go and ask about any opportunities with their businesses. If you have programs to keep them happy, maybe you have a great employee recognition program (at least 86% of businesses with them report happier staffs), you know how important other services can be. You probably have some employees who do not have the vast network you have. Offer that to them. Connect them with staff members who left in the past. Maybe they know of good opportunities. Host a networking event yourself. Just make it clear you care and are offering them the resources you have available to you that they may not have. Good references will help them in their job search. Make it clear that they were let go through no fault of their own.
Finding and keeping good employees is hard (about 22% of employees will leave their new jobs within 45 days) and letting them go is even harder. It is hard to tell someone who has been loyal to you, your vision and your company that you no longer need their services. It is even harder for them to hear it. The good news is that you can
