Why is it worth it for employers to invest in a career change management program?
Career Change Management is a recruitment program provided by Manpower in Lithuania based on a methodology developed by career management and business experts from the ManpowerGroup brand Talent Solutions/ Right Management.
Change management, as a necessary recipe for survival, is prescribed to every company in these unstable times. The recipe contains many ingredients and today we will talk about one of perhaps the least known and heard in the Lithuanian market. This element of change management helps address an elusive, controversial but often unavoidable challenge — forgiveness. ManpowerGroup’s brand division Right Management (Talent Solutions) has been studying the phenomenon of redundancies and its impact on all participants in the labor market for over 30 years. The Career Change Management or Recruitment Program, developed by Right Management and approved by business experts, helps companies smoothly and efficiently go through the period of layoffs. Based on the results of liverpool’s John Moores University (UK) study “Don’t shoot at the messenger: The veiled impact of bad news in cases of layoffs and how to limit it” and Right Management’s practical experience in providing an employment service, we share insights into the consequences of dismissals and how to manage them.
1. Maintains and strengthens reputation
In a difficult economic situation, many companies are not able to avoid layoffs. The managers of these companies note that this decision has a huge impact on the employees who remain in the company. The study* reveals that “survivors” experience stress, anger, guilt, and uncertainty. It is possible that they lost colleagues with whom they maintained friendly relations, or maybe they received an additional workload or felt more pressure on the results. Ignoring the moods of the rest of the collective, the consequences can be even more dire: reduced productivity and engagement, poorer quality of work performance, and even voluntary exits.
The decision of managers to support the dismissed employees and give them the opportunity to participate in the career change management program can restore trust in the employer to the remaining employees, strengthen their loyalty, give inspiration and desire to work in this organization.
The support provided to dismissed employees during the program enables them to boldly accept the changes and smoothly prepare for the new stage of their careers. A dedicated career coaching consultant helps them decide on the next steps and goal and develop a realistic plan of action. Positive experience strengthens the desire of employees to recommend a former employer and maintain a warm relationship in the future.
2. Ensures a smooth change for both outgoing and residuals
When an employee learns about the dismissal, there is a high probability that before coming to terms with reality, he will be hit by a wave of emotions – shock, anxiety, denial. These are normal reactions in the face of changes, but worst of all, they can negatively affect a person’s transition to a new position – they block activity, provoke resistance to change.
Support, as the most important component of a career management program, has practical value – it helps the employee understand what his strongest qualities and skills can be applied in another job or position. The consultant broadens the employee’s horizons and provides knowledge about the opportunities that exist in the labor market, helps to understand what additional competencies are missing to achieve the chosen goal. All this helps to reduce the anxiety of the employee and stimulates his activity, which directly correlates with the success of the search for a new job.
Some organizations take care of the opportunity to provide emotional support and advice from a career coaching consultant to the rest of the company’s employees. For example, for mid-level managers who feel extreme pressure and resistance to change from the rest of the team members. Practical classes enable team leaders to initiate actions, manage their own and others’ emotions, and respond to them appropriately. Proper communication between managers and leaders ensures a successful transformation of the company and business continuity.
3. Retains talent
In order to survive and thrive for many years, every company needs to constantly monitor and, if necessary, adapt to market changes. Organizational changes due to external circumstances, including Covid-19, have forced many companies to review, restructure their activities, positions and responsibilities. However, abandoning the position, eliminating responsibilities, sometimes does not mean that the person himself becomes superfluous to the company. Attracting and retaining talent is another challenge facing corporate executives these days. So, if there is now a need to say goodbye to the talent, the care and investment shown will ensure its easier “beautification” when it becomes necessary to hire him again.
