The numbers involved when talking about the impact of coronavirus are so big, it’s a hard to comprehend sometimes. Infection rates, economic losses, the number of people affected by furlough… yet behind the statistics of millions and billions lie the individual stories of people suddenly, brutally, facing redundancy.

If this is you, then you’ll know just how important it is to still feel like a valued individual and not just ‘one of many’.

Over the last few months I have been working with people, sadly quite a lot of people, who have been made redundant due to the impact the pandemic has had on their employer. These are people who have been long serving, loyal professionals who, through no fault of their own, have found themselves looking for their next step.

I’ve been supporting them through our outplacement service, which gives individuals the opportunity to reflect on the situation they have found themselves in, and then use our skills and support to help them make positive choices about their future.

The impact of this support can’t be underestimated. Here’s just a few recent comments from people I’ve worked with:

“I can’t thank you enough.  To be honest, I’m not sure I could have done all this on my own and I’m feeling more confident for the future.” 

“The best part was being able to speak with the consultant who was able to reassure me and understand the new situation I found myself in.”

“Extremely helpful and beneficial.”

Of course, the investment in outplacement is made by the employer. And some will question why they should factor in this cost for employees who are leaving. My belief is that the benefit of outplacement works both ways:

• The organisations who engage us for outplacement are committed to their responsibility as employers. They believe in making employees feel supported and valued, even while they are leaving the organisation.
• Even when challenged financially, these organisations place greater importance on integrity. When companies talk about their people being their greatest asset, outplacement is a meaningful demonstration of this during the most challenging of times.
• These employees are likely to have been people organisations would love to have kept in employment. And indeed, they may want to work with them again when circumstances change. Outplacement builds a positive bridge, enabling potential opportunities for the future.
• For the employees who remain in an organisation, knowing their colleagues have been supported during their departure builds trust and confidence in their employer.
• The individuals being supported have made a brave step to take up the offer of assistance and look positively towards the future.

Outplacement isn’t a one-size-fits-all product. The structure of outplacement sessions should be based around the needs of the organisation and the people they are seeking support for. Because of that, an outplacement provider needs to have the ability to provide versatile solutions, using their skills and experience in employee support and recruitment to provide a service that will make a genuine difference for all involved.

The Waddington Brown team are proud to specialise in agile, tailored solutions that benefit organisations of all sizes, and employees at all levels.

Now, sadly, we know not all companies value their employees as they should. Or they are keen to say one thing and then act differently. So, if you truly do value what your people have done for you, and how you want them to feel about you after they have left your organisation, then giving them support when they need it is essential.

We can’t predict what the next 6-12 months will bring but our team at Waddington Brown will be here to continue supporting businesses and organisations. If you need to make changes in your teams, which result in employees leaving and want them to have support then we understand, and we can help. To discuss how outplacement would work for you in more detail, please get in touch on enquiries@waddingtonbrown.co.uk or 01473 359159.