Outplacement Coaching Part 1

Outplacement Support Coaching is a highly specialised support service for organisations during times of change. A combination of leadership, management and communication coaching gives managers the skills and confidence to deal with the challenging decision process, while CV, interview and career coaching ensures redundant employees move as smoothly as possible to their next job.

WHAT IS OUTPLACEMENT SUPPORT COACHING?

Outplacement Support Coaching is a specialist support service drafted in when organisations undergo drastic restructuring. Corporate restructuring usually happens when organisations run into financial difficulties and can no longer afford to operate in the same way. Often this leads to employees losing their jobs. Undoubtedly, this is an emotional time for everyone involved from the people who no longer have jobs, to those given the unpleasant task of managing the job reductions.

Coaching allows employers to see the organisation from the outside, to decide which departments or roles need to go and to work out strategies for redevelopment. Outplacement Support Coaching props up the workforce itself by providing a support structure for staff who no longer have a job, before leading them safely to a new role by optimising their skills and employability.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING CORPORATE RESTRUCTURING?

Organisations go through corporate restructuring when...

  • they run into financial difficulties and can no longer afford to run without downsizing.

  • new technologies mean some staff are no longer needed.

  • directors want to adjust focus to just one part of the business or change direction altogether.

During corporate restructuring, a lot of very difficult decisions have to be made. If certain job roles or departments no longer play a part in the organisation's vision, then the employees occupying those roles have to leave. At this point, managers will begin to draw up redundancy procedures.

  1. jobs at risk - The first step in the redundancy procedure is to inform all employees that their jobs may be at risk. This alone can be a stressful time as employees are expected to go back to work as normal, despite knowing they could be out of a job at any moment.

  2. selection process - The next few months will involve numerous tense meetings and one-to-ones during which individuals will be selected for redundancy.

  3. redundancy - Once the decisions have been made, redundant staff are informed of their job loss and the terms of their redundancy (i.e. their entitlements), before leaving to find new work. 

THE ROLE OF THE OUTPLACEMENT SUPPORT COACH

While an Outplacement Support Coach has multiple roles, the aim is always the same: to make corporate restructuring run as smoothly as possible for everyone involved. The two main roles of an outplacement coach are:

  • to support leaders.

  • to support employees.

OUTPLACEMENT COACHING FOR LEADERS

Corporate restructuring can be a difficult time for leaders, who must try to keep productivity levels high throughout the selection process. Trying to keep a team focused and effective at the same time as warning them of potential job loss can be something of a challenge.

An Outplacement Support Coach can be called in to assist managers during this stressful time. Specific areas they address include:

  • Strategy Planning - What do you need? What are the problems? What do you need to do to overcome those problems? Coaching is one of the best techniques for strategical planning.

  • Preparation for Bad News - How do you go about telling an employee they no longer have a job? Coaching can help leaders develop the right approach so they can handle unpleasant situations as sensitively as possible.

  • Leadership Coaching - Do you need to adapt your leadership approach? Are you being too hard? Too soft? An outplacement coach will be able to assess the situation and advise you on leadership approaches accordingly.

  • Communication Skills - Communication problems such as misunderstandings, personal tensions and passive aggressive behaviour can make a difficult situation even worse. Ensuring all grievances are out in the open, and knowing how to deal with them, is all part of being a good leader.

  • Performance - How do you maximise the performance of your team during times of low morale?

Decision-makers are inevitably seen as the 'bad guys' during the restructuring process. After all, they are the people who decide who keeps their job and who goes. It is natural for employees to feel some level of resentment towards management when they are put in such a powerless position. However, those people chosen to deliver the bad news to employees are of course just doing what they are required to do for the benefit of the business.

Outplacement Support Coaching can help leaders deal with the inevitable emotional side of corporate restructuring so they can deal with matters as fairly as possible without letting feelings get in the way.  

Sam Brown