Retaining and rebuilding confidence
Confidence is needed, now more than ever. As the lockdown in some parts of the UK is eased, and the furlough scheme will soon be coming to an end, employers are having to make some difficult decisions about the future of their companies. The shape of business is changing. Offices will be very different spaces for the immediate future. Knowing that whatever you, your business and your sector face, you will be able to meet these myriad challenges head on, will make a big difference.
Stresses and strains
If the outcome for your firm is redundancy, it’s imperative for HR managers and professionals to help employees retain their confidence. Such changes can be a difficult, nerve-wracking time. Being made redundant is included in the ‘top 10’ most stressful events that could happen in a person’s life. Understandably it can knock someone’s confidence when it happens. However, on the flip-side, it can be seen as a very positive opportunity for those who acknowledge that change has many facets.
One step at a time
When an employee receives the news they are being made redundant, their emotional wellbeing must be considered. Managers should strive to keep their employees’ self-confidence buoyant. This includes supporting them at each stage of the redundancy process. Employees should be provided with someone to talk to and be supported in their search for a new career path and suitable replacement job. The jobs’ market is particularly competitive at the moment in many sectors – and will only become more so, as further restructuring takes place in certain sectors.
An emotional journey
Some people will have friends and family to emotionally support them. But for others redundancy can be a lonely, isolating time. This needs to be eased by providing as much support as possible. Their confidence must be considered and they must be kept informed in a sympathetic, positive way, which considers the impact it will have on them. A considered approach will also encourage employees to be confident and proactive in their new job search. We all know from experience, when someone finds themselves in a daunting situation, it can knock their confidence. Understanding the impact of the unknown will ensure they acknowledge they need to be as positive and confident as the situation demands. This is vital to the process.
Positive, confidence, next
Confidence can make a big difference to a person’s take on life. On how they are going to progress in the future to pursue their next set of challenges. A confident person is more likely to opt for the career path they have always wanted. It might entail some risks, but overall will be more rewarding in the long term. A person lacking in confidence may stay within their tried-and-tested comfort zone, and remain constrained by the parameters of ‘the safe option’. However, in the long-term this may lead to career dissatisfaction and general unhappiness.
Planning your next move
Good communication with an employee is effective in helping with their confidence. Outplacement experts such as Career Evolution can help anxious employees to cope with uncertainty. Having someone to talk to, to discuss their options, will allow them to gather their thoughts and understand what they really want from their career. This thought process alone can restore or instil confidence, and provide the employee with a more positive outlook as they prepare their next career move.
