Preserving dignity for your change-affected people
Getting back on your feet after job loss is hard. The shock and uncertainty starts immediately when you learn your role is gone, and it lingers on. The reality of the financial impact can be extremely stressful, as is the feeling of loss of identity, and fear of the unknown. With all that pulsing through your system, it can be incredibly hard to paint on a happy, positive face for a job interview. Getting the right support to get back on your feet over that time is essential, and it is definitely not a ‘paint by numbers’ exercise.
A wise old boss used to say 'how you leave a job is how you join the next one'. At the time he was referring to individuals resigning in anger and taking those feelings into their next role. I believe the sentiment could also apply in respect to the need to process the feelings resulting from redundancy before joining a new organisation.
My first brush with restructuring came at the end of my first year as a marketing graduate. A week before Christmas, over the course of a single morning, a quarter of the salaried staff in our organisation were told their services were no longer required. They were asked to pack up their personal effects and leave the premises by lunchtime. I cannot begin to fathom the shock and devastation experienced by my affected colleagues on that day, and in the weeks and months after.
Since that time, (admittedly some decades ago now), much more attention is given to supporting change-affected people. Having said that, the restructuring process is far from perfect, and it is not my intention to debate it here.
What I do hope to raise however, is the notion that in the post-departure period, employers can help their people to restore their dignity, sense of purpose and confidence by offering access to customisable career transition services - where individuals have the ability to shape their support according to what they need most to get back on their feet.
Dignity and self-determination are closely related concepts. When we are able to make our own choices, we are more likely to be able to live in a way that is consistent with our values and beliefs. Dignity can also be a prerequisite for self-determination - we need a sense of self-worth and value in order to make choices and feel in control of our lives.
Being in the career transition support space for a while now, we see people with a wide range of support needs; ranging from needing time to reflect on what they bring to the table; reassessing their career direction and regaining confidence in their employability; all the way to others who need just to crack on with CV polishing and interview practice. The freedom to access the right support is a powerful act of self-determination.
So for employers contemplating engaging career transition services, why not offer your people some control at a time when so much feels out of control?
Related stories
