Supporting Your Organization Through People Transitions

As leaders, we know that searching for a new role can feel like a full-time job, but when challenging times result in eliminated positions and reductions in force, letting employees go takes a toll on the employee experience in the workplace.

When transitions take place, it affects everyone. It’s not easy to exit employees from your organization and its culture, especially when it’s something you are forced into by circumstance. It is counter-intuitive to people-focused leaders.

Leaders of purpose-driven organizations recognize the value of relationships and invest in their workforce. They see a return on this investment when they grow and develop employees. The good news is there are ways to continue taking care of your people and improve the employee experience in the workplace even when they’re no longer part of your payroll.

When affected employees leave, you have the opportunity to set them up for future success while positioning your organization well for this talent’s potential future return. You also have the chance to build great alumni advocates for your company’s culture and brand. How?

Build Confidence: Complete an “Innerview”

We recommend taking transitioning employees through a series of exercises – the same ones we use in executive coaching – that investigate their natural methods of problem solving, aggregate their greatest strengths and abilities and capture their guiding principles, allowing them to confidently communicate who they are and what value they bring. Through exploring all Three Parts of the Mind – Cognitive, Affective and Conative – help exiting employees build confidence around what others need to know about them. Tools we use include the Kolbe A™ Index, Authoring Your Personal Core Values the humanworks8 Way, and The Communication Guide by humanworks8. These exercises help individuals narrow down the type of role, organization and people that will help them contribute effectively in their next chapter.

Strengthen Interviewing Capabilities by Presenting Your Best Self

Equip employees with a career search toolkit. Offer coaching that supports them in creating a resume they are proud to share and highlight the most effective ways to search for open roles. Boost their professional presence online with a peer review of their LinkedIn profile to help them stand out among other job seekers. Finally, offer a mock interview experience and provide useful feedback that propels them forward. Through this process, they redefine and market their personal brand as they learn and implement job search and networking best practices.

Prioritize Personal Well-Being

Last but never least,help exiting employees learn to thrive through a traditionally high-stress situation through a focus on self-care. Employ exclusive humanworks8 tools centered on well-being and personal growth, inspiring thoughtful well-being milestones and creating accountability.

Supplementing Transition Offerings

While these ideas for transition support during offboarding can equip exiting employees with tools and skills and provide confidence to the future, there’s more to the offboarding experience. Consider these efforts part of your offboarding process, but remember other key steps including clear communication, gathering feedback, and the appropriate transition of work where possible.

For questions about how the humanworks8 offboarding services can elevate your employee experience in the workplace, start a conversation with Jeanna at jeanna@humanworks8.com.