As an HR professional, one of the most difficult conversations you will encounter in your working life is when you have to make someone’s role redundant.  Unfortunately, in the current climate, this is something too many of us are having to do on a too frequent basis. Although people from a logical point of view can often ‘see it coming’, and maybe even understand the reasons, the emotional viewpoint its very different.  Initial reactions to the news can vary from anger through to shock and disbelief, as well as sadness and frustration.  These are all natural emotions and are to be expected.  However, what happens next will be very dependent on how the redundancy issue is handled.

Finding the positives

If handled badly, negative emotions can escalate. This can cause harm to the individual, their colleagues and potentially even the organisation.  However, this doesn’t have to be the case. It is possible to turn a negative situation into a positive outcome.  To increase the chances of a positive outcome, you need to take a host of things into consideration and make sure you plan your approach carefully.  This is essential, not only to comply with employment legislation, but also to provide a positive experience for the individual, which will reflect positively on the company.

Think about how the news is delivered. Is there a clear explanation for why the redundancy is necessary, the selection process, the avenues for appeal and the next steps?  Also think about where the news is delivered. Are you somewhere private, where both you and the individual can talk freely without being overheard or on show? With many people currently working remotely, it might be necessary to deliver the message virtually. Although necessary, this has the potential to make the conversation even more difficult.

Outplacement options

In addition, you also need to understand what the package you are offering is.  It needs to comply with certain criteria, to ensure you are handling the redundancy legally and fairly. However, it should be more than a box-ticking exercise.  Any employee facing redundancy would benefit from some level of outplacement. Group outplacement can even be available, where a larger number of staff are under consultation.  If the individual is at a more senior level, you might find it beneficial to offer them individual outplacement.

As a third party, an outplacement consultant can deflect some of the negative emotions. They can work with individuals to see the positive opportunities that redundancy can provide.  They can also offer invaluable advice about career opportunities that are out there.  Things like transferable skills can be identified and avenues not immediately obvious can be explored. If the ‘break up’ is handled well, all parties can benefit from the positive experience.

It’s a strange time to be looking for a new job. You may be on furlough, but wanted to change your career prior to lockdown and are trapped in an odd kind of limbo. Maybe you have just started a new job and are itching to meet your new colleagues and settle into the role. It may be you have been made redundant, as a result of the lockdown restrictions and industry changes that have been accelerated by a vastly changed economic climate. Or quite simply, you are ready to move on to your next challenge, perhaps in a new sector. Whatever your reasoning, employers are still hiring, and posts are still being advertised. However, a big shift now is that the timeframe between interview, job offer and sometimes even start date, is longer than ever before.

Worth its wait?

Interviews are being carried out almost exclusively via online platforms and over the telephone at the moment. Prospective employers will be able to get a sense of how you are in person, your mannerism, confidence and knowledge, but body language is difficult to read solely from the neck up.  After selection, the actual employment process seems to have become protracted, as remote working for many is a challenge when it comes to getting decisions finalised. The prolonged gap may become unnerving. Remember, even if you have a concrete offer of a job, it’s important not to put all your eggs in one basket. It’s useful to keep networking throughout the ongoing process, as a precaution against any changes in the employer’s decision. Sadly, it’s not unheard of under the present situation for job offers to be withdrawn due to unforeseen circumstances.

Dealing with uncertainty

The security of a firm job offer was once thought to be diecast. However, present times are giving employers a great deal of headroom if they need to change their strategy – and their minds. Unfortunately, there’s little argument when someone describes these days as ‘unprecedented’. So remember, even if you thought you had a new job to go to, that post may no longer exist on the other side of lockdown. It’s very important not to rest on your laurels. Keep networking throughout the process. It can be a little soul-destroying waiting to hear from prospective employers – even to secure an interview, let alone a start date – but it’s important to remember it’s more about the current economic climate than anything personal. It makes sense, however, to continue to network and maintain those ongoing relationships, even when your job is secure, or an offer secured.

Be proactive

For some people, the cumulative effect of working remotely is by now wearing pretty thin. So the thought of starting virtual networking, via Zoom, Teams or other platforms, may not be top of your to-do list. But it is still important that you stay connected with your colleagues and make new connections beyond your current ones. It’s not just your own wellbeing to consider – not everyone has a strong network or family or friends to rely on in these solitary, confined times. Some people will benefit in ways beyond simply ‘networking’. For example, it can help preserve mental health, by talking to people in similar situations.

While you are waiting to start your new job, it also ensures that you haven’t burned any bridges by dropping off the radar, should you need to resume your job hunt at a later date. It makes sense to be proactive in such uncertain times. If you’re not working in an office environment, it also provides that interaction that may prove invaluable in the long-term.

In preparing for an interview, various different aspects of your ‘presentation’ will need to be addressed. Your appearance matters a great deal and also having the right look and tone for the company you would like to work with. Research the firm and find out what the company’s dress code is – if they have one – or what would be suitable if not. Staff profile photographs are usually a good indicator of how the company likes to present its staff to the wider world. Some office-based companies are still business suit/shirt and tie types of places. But more and more smart-casual is now acceptable in most workspaces – or pyjamas and slippers, if you’re working from home. It’s not just what have you say in your interview answers – although that will need to be pertinent and knowledgeable – but also how you deliver it.

Speaking volumes

No, we’re not talking about audio books. When it comes to interviews, it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. In addition to your outward appearance, your demeanour will also make a considerable impression in an interview. It’s not only the words you use, but also your tone of voice and your non-verbal communication, such as your posture. Spoken words are only 7% of the impact you make. Your non-verbal communication makes up the other 93%. This is divided between verbal (38%) and non-verbal (55%). The latter is a huge percentage, as so much of how we act defines who we are.

In most instances and situations – going into a shop to buy something, for example, or exchanging pleasantries on the street – our behaviours are normal and relaxed. But the added pressure of being in an interview can accentuate mannerisms, and what wouldn’t be noticed in everyday life becomes heightened, or even exaggerated, in the interview set-up. This can be particularly noticeable if you are fidgety, or gesticulate a lot when you speak to an unfamiliar audience when you become tense.

Build and strengthen confidence

Listen to the questions and answer them fully. Don’t try to crowbar a readymade answer in reply to an unrelated question. Try to find where points you’d like to make can be included, but also think on your feet and use your intuition, to appear yourself. If you tend to speak more quickly when you become nervous, try to address this. Practice speaking slowly, rehearse your responses to commonly-asked interview questions and generally hone your persona to become an interview-and-nerves-proof version of you. Be clear and coherent and the overall message will come across and be easy to understand.

Make sure not to talk yourself up cul-de-sacs and lose your train of thought. You need to ‘know your stuff’, but you also need to portray the right image for the job you are applying for. Practice of course makes perfect, so the more rehearsals you can have – using friends and colleagues as interviewer stand-ins – the more ‘unrehearsed’ your actual presentation will be when it comes to the real thing.  If you think your presentation may benefit from some professional support, our full outplacement programme includes support on this as part of the package. Our coaches can provide the experience and guidance you need to improve your confidence and presence, to ensure your non-verbal communication matches your suitability and skills.

Congratulations, you’ve made a great impression in the interview and you’ve secured your new job.

But now the hard work starts all over again, as the first few weeks of your job will involve settling in. Things are a little different at the moment, as some offices are open, some not. The standard induction that many new employees may undergo might not be happening, or be happening remotely.

New employees will still have to get to grips with their new roles, even if it involves working from home. If you don’t meet your new co-workers in person, you’ll still be introduced to them online. Some meetings are even taking place in person now, so you may find you have more normality in your new role than you expected. Even in these usual times, you can still make an impression in your new company. Here’s some recommendations to make your first 100 days work for you.

New role goals

Make sure you schedule a meeting with your boss early on and agree on what your performance goals for the first year should be. These should be SMART and diarise a three-month review of these objectives. The meeting can be remote or in person, but is an essentially part of mapping out where you and they see your role and your part in the company. Identifiable parameters will ensure everyone’s on the same page and pulling in the same direction, towards an achievable goal.

Strengthen skills

Don’t be too hard on yourself or expect results and acknowledgement right away. Reward yourself at the end of the first day and at the end of your first week. Reassure yourself you are doing well. Feedback may not be immediately forthcoming and it may take longer – especially at the moment – to receive positive praise. Set yourself some professional development SMART goals. Identify your training requirements and select a variety of online and offline learning opportunities throughout your first year. Make good use of your time and look for facets of your skillset you can strengthen.

Remember to update your LinkedIn profile to include your latest news. Get in touch with anyone who helped you in your job hunting and let them know about your new role. Also, join any new social media groups that are now relevant to you. You have a new job now, but don’t neglect your ongoing career development too.

Learn and absorb

Familiarise yourself with every aspect of your new company. Read newsletters and annual reports, and spend time looking at its website. Absorb their world and become part of it, by setting up things such as Google Alerts, which will make you aware of any developments at your organisation and within the wider sector, which may be a new sector to you. Find yourself a mentor – either within the organisation or outside it –  and as soon as you can set up your first one-to-one. A mentor can be very useful in guiding you in the company ethos and honing your skills to become an even better fit for the company. Learning from a mentor adds much to the experience of working at a company, as they will have a great deal of specialist knowledge and a wealth of information that will be useful in your new role.

Pace yourself

Don’t try to do too much instantaneously and expect everything to work first time. Set priorities for your first year and leave longer term planning for the next two or three terms. Don’t make changes for change’s sake, but do make notes and identify what you would like to improve. Perhaps there’s a workflow that you think could be managed better or automated further. Your fresh insights will be invaluable to your new company, but if it’s working, don’t try to change it. Make sure you are tactful in your approach when it comes to making any tweaks. The last thing you want is to put anyone’s nose out of joint. By pacing yourself, you can get a feel for the company’s ethos and its ‘personality’, so changes you make will fit well, whilst improving efficiency and productivity.

Business is getting back to normal for many of us, with offices beginning to encourage staff back to their desk, if ‘social distancing’ can be upheld. The world of work for many people, however, has changed and some companies are having to rethink their company structures. At any time, company restructures can be challenging – but in the present climate it is even more complicated. Redundancies and job losses cause untold upheaval and can cause stress and uncertainty for employees, who are unsure how the modifications will pan out.

Positive, constructive

It is obviously a difficult period for the whole company, but it can be doubly stressful for the HR professionals. Key members of the team will perhaps have to deal with the angst of employees throughout the organisation, while also having to deal with their own personal uncertainties too. It is worth considering the benefits of outsourcing some elements of the HR function during these transitional periods. By working with a business with a great deal of experience in helping and supporting the HR team during outplacement, managers can provide a strong foundation. In this way, challenges generated by the situation can be addressed in a positive, constructive way.

Professional support

Outplacement professionals can offer vast experience in managing these types of situations, but there are many other benefits to working with a third party too. One of these is the element of distance that your Consultant will have from the emotional turmoil that is potentially impacting on the internal team. Often affected employees find it easier to discuss how they feel and what their next steps might be with a relative stranger, rather than someone they are likely to run into in their everyday workplace or in meetings. Here a bit of distance can actually help find a resolution.

The heart of the process

Without the anchor of usual office life, restructuring has become more complicated, but also considerably more morale-sapping. The uncertainty of the lockdown, the uncertainty of furlough and of how busy businesses will be in the next few months is all uncharted territory. As well as supporting people exiting the business, a Consultant can work closely with the teams remaining to improve morale levels, address development needs and generally help throughout the transitional period. By keeping people at the heart of the process, you have the potential to turn a situation which could be damaging into something positive, both for the people who leave and the ones who remain.  Looking after your workforce in these uncertain times has never been more important.

Since the beginning of lockdown, many aspects of our lives have been impacted by the effects of changes to our normal behaviour. Things like wearing masks in shops or on public transport, or working from home are starting to feel like they are the norm. How we deal with and adapt to these changes will depend upon how resilient we are.

Positive attitudes

Resilient people know bad things happen. They haven’t been singled out and they know the situation will eventually improve. When any business moves through a transitional period, managers throughout the company are tasked with dealing with the effects of these changes. Whether it’s having to tell someone their role is being made redundant, or addressing low workforce morale, it can be difficult for managers to remain resilient and stay positive. Having strong resilience to some of the emotions associated with change – and recognising their existence – can also positively impact on employees. Presenting a positive attitude will go a long way in helping to promote positive outcomes for everybody. This is especially important during these difficult times.

Bounce back to your best

Emerging stronger from a stressful experience – or an experience you don’t fully understand – can often be attributed to positive thinking. But this can be difficult to do in times of turmoil. Managers who can keep a positive attitude are likely to see the best outcomes, as their approach will encourage employees to channel that positivity and use it for their own personal and professional outcomes too. The term ‘bouncing back’ is often used to describe resilience and those with the most optimistic outlook and greater emotional strength will find it easiest to rebound from challenging times. Resilient people ask if what they are doing is helping or harming them. Recognising the impact negativity has on how we feel increases our powers of resilience.

Be an optimist

Resilient people are careful about what they choose to focus on. They see what they can change and accept what they cannot. Such optimistic, pragmatic approaches to management and communication will create a workforce that has strong good stamina and character. These are key to success in transitional periods. Resilience is based on the mindsets and relationships of the individuals in the team. Focusing on positives, or tuning into the ‘good’, makes us appreciate what we have already achieved.

A company with a positive vision provides employees with a strong forward drive. Managers with the optimism to guide employees will instil the business with a sense of direction. Working together during periods of transition allows everyone to feel valued and an important part of the company. If you help managers be resilient, the workforce will be too. Building resilience within your employees will lead to the workforce coming together to work in union, towards success.

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.

Strong, defined leadership is vital to ensuring your team is onside and on-message.  When your team respects your decisions and your actions, it can make a huge difference overall to team morale. Management has had to adapt to some considerable, sudden changes to work in recent months. But the basics remain the same.

Our experts at Career Evolution have pulled together some informative tips, to help you become a more effective and respected manager, to take your team to the top.

Team spirit

Even in the era of widespread remote working, delegate wisely. Allowing members of the team to undertake and lead certain tasks or projects will not only enable you to focus on other things, but makes your team feel valued. Trust is a big part of working remotely for both employees and managers, so delegating tasks provides them with opportunities to develop and take on greater responsibility.

It’s also important to recognise and reward achievements. Always demonstrate recognition to any employee who has achieved something, whether in work or in their personal life. If it comes to your attention, then show your recognition and admiration.

Doing the right thing

Short-term solutions to work-related challenges may seem attractive, but usually are only a sticking plaster. Think about long-term problems that can be fixed permanently, ensuring that your employees know that you care about finding the right solution for them, for you and for the business as a whole.

It’s also well worth setting goals for employees and teams. Goals provide employees with direction and the motivation to achieve these targets. Incentivising them and rewarding them when they reach their goals is very effective – and even an informal verbal acknowledgement of achievement will be appreciated.

Make time to talk

Remember to communicate. Far too many managers communicate far too little, even in normal times in the office. At the moment, communication between managers and teams is more important than ever. However busy you are, make sure you have time set aside to communicate with your employees. Making sure they are kept in the loop on all matters in these uncertain times will ensure that they don’t feel like they are the ‘last to know’ and have their confidence undermined.

When it comes to employees, make time to show that you care about their opinions and ideas. Be open to speaking to them and understand their point of view.  This is especially important if they are having a difficult time and need someone to speak to.

Work is serious and important but learn to relax a bit too. Get to know your team on a social level and make sure that each one understands that you consider them to be an essential component of the team.

Thinking about these tips can help managers build strong relationships with their employees. This will allow them to feel valued and develop a strong work ethic embedded in the business.

There are right and wrong ways to embark on a job search. The more focused you can be will directly influence your results. If you devote time to networking and making contacts, rather than aimlessly applying for everything in sight, you’ll be using your time a lot more wisely and feel as though you’ve achieved more in the process.

Having a clear strategy from the outset (and especially a time constraint on the process) can help you find the right role and make the right decisions for your future. The visible job market accounts for 35% of vacancies. This includes advertisers, recruitment consultancies and agencies. While the hidden job market – which includes networking, direct contacts and vacancies that are filled without ever being made widely known – accounts for 65%. Both are possible avenues, so a considered, strategic approach is required to make the best use of your time.

Browsing the job market

If you are carrying out the job search yourself, the traditional method these days is browsing job advertisements online, on such sites as Indeed and Glassdoor. You can tailor your search and only look at jobs that you are interested in. Or you can widen your search to encompass broader sectors. Going through job adverts is time-consuming though, as each post will need to be reviewed and assessed. Being strict on how long you spend on this each day – as in any online activity – will enable you to make the most of your searches and your available time. Set realistic timescales, so it doesn’t take over your life. The narrower you keep your search parameters, the quicker your search will be. However, this may mean you may miss opportunities that otherwise might have been of interest. It’s a balance you’ll have to find.

Getting lost for words

Commencing a job search will mean you have to get back into the mindset of updating your own CV and online profiles, and also getting a feel for the jobs’ market. This may feel like a chore in the beginning, but becoming familiar with the procedure again will pay dividends in the ongoing process. Too often, people get hooked on LinkedIn and find that two hours have passed without having achieved anything. Browsing online can easily eat into your time and prove unproductive if no headway is made.

Unfortunately, we find it simpler to do this easy stuff, rather that actually picking up the phone and talking to contacts ‘in person’. You can be drawn into reading information online and easily lose an afternoon or evening (or both). You can also end up wasting more time on the job boards than networking and speaking to ‘real’ people, even across online media. Networking via LinkedIn offers a sound approach for job search. LinkedIn is good, as you’ll hopefully already have many connections based on your profile and business links. It is also a format that has remained relevant during lockdown, as pretty much all office-based activity has shifted online.

Outplacement is key

This is where outplacement guidance can help. Good outplacement can not only provide the practical elements of helping with CV preparation and creating a LinkedIn profile. It can also help holistically to reveal what you want to do next – in terms of a career – and the strategy to achieve it. Having a clear idea of your next role will make a big difference to the shape of your search.

By talking to an outplacement specialist, you’ll find you will bounce ideas back and forth, and may unveil new avenues to explore in the process. This approach can also help with the emotional toll a job search can take. Even the most resilient, experienced jobseeker can find some trepidation in the uncertainty of taking steps into the unknown. However, the more focused you are, the more successful you’ll be at landing your next job quickly and having a strategy will provide that focus.

The lockdown has taken its toll on peoples’ wellbeing in many different ways. Some have dealt with the situation easily, while others have struggled, particularly with mental health. And the half-in, half-out limbo we seem to be inhabiting at the moment isn’t helping.  You knew where you were with lockdown. Now we’re in this hinterland where the rules are blurred, misinterpreted and misunderstood, leaving many people more fraught now than earlier in the year.

Wellbeing under fire

One of the big challenges of the situation is fatigue. Many people have been working flat-out during this lockdown and some companies are busier than ever.  The impact of this however is there aren’t the usual relief options that many people enjoy to wind down. If you don’t have a garden, you haven’t even got an outdoor space to relax in. Only recently social and leisure activities have been allowed, the little things that help wellbeing and that so many people rely on to unwind. This lack of relief can lead to a feeling of burn-out and listlessness, which for any worker is going to impact on their state of mind and their output.

Coping in crisis

A further knock-on from this is people are beginning to get a little fed-up with the situation. Some staff have been furloughed, which has at least guaranteed income, if not their role remaining when the scheme ends. They are also stressed about the uncertainty surrounding their jobs and their incomes. Will their office even exist in October or beyond, as many companies are using this time to restructure and take stock? If you are concerned about the longevity of your role, you may have already started your job search in what has become a highly competitive market. August is traditionally a weak month in terms of job searching, as there are school holidays and other factors that slow productivity.

Collateral damage

Stress itself can cause fatigue. Now more than ever people are craving a mental holiday, whilst being largely stymied from travelling abroad. That battery recharge we’ve all become so accustomed to simply isn’t here. A myriad of worries can be exacerbated if you have further non-work concerns as well, such as personal issues or health matters. With remote working, for many it has been very difficult to separate your work and personal life, and that can prove stressful too. If sleep and rest have been disturbed as a result, stress can begin to cause more collateral damage. Not everyone has a wide family network, or even a partner, to communicate and discuss things with, and an employer has a responsibility towards their staff issues such as wellbeing and fatigue come into the frame.

Reassurance can help

This mental pressure is bound to be at the back of many employees’ minds, which is why it’s so important for management to keep in touch with their staff during these periods of remote working. As a manager, it will help if you can give them reassurances that their jobs will remain as the lockdown is eased. You may even be able to ask them back into the office now, to see them face to face. Find out how they are feeling and ask if there is anything you can do to ease their situation and anxiousness.  Sometimes a reassuring conversation is worth more than the highest praise to an employee’s morale. And good morale is something we all need at the moment, more than anything.