Optimize & Transition Archives - CCI Consulting

Creating a Positive Offboarding Experience for Employees

Kimberlee Beck — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 14:12:18 +0000

Building Engagement at Every Stage of the Employee Lifecycle – Part 4 – Separation

There comes a point in the employee lifecycle where an employee leaves the organization. Whether the employee’s separation is voluntary, due to restructure or downsizing, or the employee is retiring, having a well-planned offboarding process that provides positive engagement during the employee’s transition out of the organization is critical.

The way a departing employee leaves an organization can have a huge impact on the retention and engagement of existing employees as well as the company’s reputation and employer brand. While most organizations recognize the importance of a well-structured onboarding process as part of their engagement strategy, many overlook the importance of offboarding. In fact, Aberdeen research found that only 29% of organizations have a formal offboarding process to transition employees out of the organization.

As you work to improve the employee experience and engagement levels in your organization, your company’s offboarding process must be given the same attention and investment as other areas of your engagement strategy. Consider the following:

Former employees, particularly those who left voluntarily or retired, have the power to share your company’s story, improve your employer reputation and refer future employees.
You may want certain former employees to return at some point, which a good offboarding experience would facilitate. (Research and studies have revealed that rehiring former employees and nurturing company alumni networks can save the average Fortune 500 company around $12 million per year.)
Negative reviews by exiting employees on popular employer review sites such as Glassdoor could deter future employees from wanting to join your organization. (A study by Glassdoor found that 69% of job seekers would not take a job with a company that has a bad reputation – even if unemployed.)

Whether an employee’s departure is voluntary or involuntary, it is important to have an offboarding process that takes into consideration the perspective of the exiting employee and that is designed to provide the most positive, respectful, and professional experience possible for both sides.

While some terminations can be abrupt, stressful, and messy, the vast majority shouldn’t be. Below are some best practices you can implement to establish a positive offboarding process that supports the exiting employee, your employer brand, and maintains morale among the remaining workforce.

Have a Conversation – Employees can feel blindsided and underappreciated by a termination if no communication or previous conversations took place regarding their performance or the company’s direction in the case of a restructure. Likewise, hearing that a star employee wants to leave is the last thing a manager wants to hear. All separations need to be thought about a head of time, even those coming from the employee.

Having open and honest conversations with employees can help you get a pulse on their motivation and engagement, ensure you’re giving them the tools and space to grow in their career and possibly prevent their resignation. Similarly, if an employee is not meeting performance goals or the company is moving in a different direction, there should be conversations prior to termination to prepare the employee.

When the departure is the employee’s choice, ask for honest feedback about it’s like working in your organization and their reason for leaving to see if there is anything your organization can improve upon to prevent future departures.

Celebrate the Departing Employee’s Contributions – Whether an employee is leaving on their own terms, retiring, or due to an involuntary termination, it’s important to give them a farewell that acknowledges their contributions to the organization and shows appreciation for their work.

If you’re a small business, you could invite your whole team to toast them. If you’re running a larger organization, have your employee’s team members gather to celebrate. No matter how big or intimate the celebration, make sure your employee feels the love. Departing employees are likely to tell their friends and family about their experience with your organization. A good last impression will make them more likely to recommend others to your company and increases the chances that they’ll boomerang back to you if the situation is right.

Provide Outplacement Support for Involuntary Separations – Losing one’s job can be devastating. For most individuals, they’re not just losing an income, they’re losing part of their identity and community of colleagues. One of the best things an organization can do for a departing employee is offer them outplacement support. Outplacement services provide existing employees with advice and guidance as they initiate their job search and eventually land their next career opportunity. With this support, individuals are more likely to land faster and at an equal or higher-level role than if they were to go through the job search process alone.

The benefits of outplacement support also extend to the organization, as it shows not only the departing employee but also the employees who remain with the organization that the company cares about its people. This can help maintain morale in the workplace during the transition and make the organization more attractive to job candidates as well as customers because they see that your company cares about its employees and treats them with respect.

Find Ways to Stay Connected – Former employees can be a rich resource of referrals for new hires and customers. Additionally, some employees may even decide to return to your organization, which can significantly reduce onboarding time. From creating an alumni network to hosting alumni reunions and happy hours for past and present employees to establishing a boomerang program where job opportunities are initially offered to former employees, there are many ways to stay connected with former employees.

An employee’s final days with your organization are just as critical as their first days and can greatly impact the health and performance of your organization, employer brand and reputation. While not all employee departures will be the same, having a framework in place that fosters engagement and respect as an employee exits the organization and keeps the door open for future employment will provide both short and long-term benefits to your company.

Kimberlee Beck
Director of Marketing
CCI Consulting

This post is part of a series on building engagement throughout the employee lifecycle.

Read part 1: The Power of Pre-Employment Engagement

Read part 2: How to Drive Employee Engagement During Onboarding

Read part 3: 5 Successful Strategies for Developing & Retaining Employees that Amplify Engagement

The post Creating a Positive Offboarding Experience for Employees appeared first on CCI Consulting.

Making a Career Transition That Works for You

Karen Livingston — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 12:53:22 +0000

So, you are about to explore a career transition. You probably have some idea about what the end goal looks like, but I encourage you to slow down and think about the critical details that need to be addressed before jumping in. The first thing is to have clarity about what you want and what you don’t want. See it and embrace it so your audience understands your focus and isn’t left confused or misguided. Perhaps you are interested in moving into a higher-level role, transitioning down from a leadership position, changing career direction, or maybe it’s exploring a different industry. Start with your vision. Once you are confident and comfortable about what you want and can articulate it, now you are ready to step into the creating phase.

What should you create? Your story! Start with your resume: make it interesting, keep it current (no ancient history, please), and fill it with relevant keywords and accomplishments! Remember, this is your sales brochure, not a list of job duties. Review multiple current online job postings looking for those critical skills (hard and soft). If you can embrace those keywords, add them into the resume in the different sections. What’s going to make you stand out? Accomplishments! I know you have career success stories. Did you save money, improve productivity, develop a new strategy, generate revenue, receive recognition (awards), or do more with less? Think like a Hiring Manager. They want to hire someone who’s going to make a difference.

The next step is learning to love your new best friend: LinkedIn. Now’s the time to revisit your LinkedIn profile by building your story. With over 90% of recruiters and hiring managers using this as their #1 source, your LinkedIn profile is a fantastic way to get noticed. My top suggestions are keywords, connections, and activity. Be bold and stand out so you get attention. Change your background picture so it speaks to your branding. Make sure your headshot photo is professional and current (you should look like the person who’s going to show up for the interview). You have several categories within your profile where you can share your accomplishments, experiences, and successes with the reader. Maximize every section (and don’t forget to add in those important keywords). Read (yes, read) your profile for typos. Don’t rely on spell-check. There are thousands of “managers” that are listed as “mangers” in their profile and, unfortunately, don’t realize it. Finally, maintain your activity by continuing to connect and build your network, joining groups, and posting multiple times weekly.

Another important step in the career transition process is networking. It’s all about having informal discussions with people, rekindling old relationships, and making new ones. At CCI Consulting, we know this is a critical step in any career transition. Networking isn’t about asking for a job. Talking to people about their industry, company, and role is a terrific way to learn and explore things you may not have considered before. Reach out to everyone in your network (including connections that are retired) and make a commitment to stay in touch. Foster those relationships. I am a believer that people care and want to help, but don’t know how. Remember your vision? What a great opportunity to share it!

If you feel the need for professional guidance, you may want to consider career transition services, especially if they were offered as part of your severance package from your employer. Studies indicate that those who work diligently within a formal career transition program decrease their period of unemployment while increasing their level of satisfaction with the new position they assume.

Ready? Let the journey begin! Stay positive, memorable, and be good to yourself.

Karen Livingston
Senior Consultant
CCI Consulting

The post Making a Career Transition That Works for You appeared first on CCI Consulting.

Navigating the New World of Work

Rob Croner — Sun, 29 May 2022 20:38:53 +0000

Organizations have been impacted by an extraordinary and rapidly changing confluence of events since March of 2020. We’ve witnessed a global pandemic unlike any the world has experienced in over 100 years, which triggered a severe recession – only to see that recension flip within 18 months into one of the “hottest” talent markets in recent memory. The unemployment rate went from a high of 14.7% in April 2020 – the highest rate in US history – to the current rate of 3.6%, and we find ourselves in the midst of the “Great Resignation.”

Yes, unusual times. Uncommon. Over 70 million workers quit jobs in 2021, 33% of the total workforce. The labor force participation rate declined to 61.8%, the lowest level in 40 years. The statistics are staggering. But is this situation truly unprecedented? A closer look at data shows the Quit Rate is consistent with other post-recession periods; it was 28% after both the 2001 and 2008 recessions. In fact, the Quit Rate increased each year from 2009 to 2019, and the unusually large turnover in 2021 reflected a continuation of underlying trends in the labor market that were accelerated by the COVID pandemic and economic disruptions.

So, what’s really going on? There are fundamental changes in the nature of work. Three significant business trends that have occurred over the past two decades that were accelerated by the pandemic include:

The impact of digitization and technology-driven transformation
The reinvention of “office work”
The increased attention to social and environmental goals.

These trends have shifted the source of value in business today. In the 20^th century, the source of value was access to capital and physical infrastructure; it was a “physical” world. In the 21^st century, the source of value is People. Human capital is now the scarce resource and attracting and retaining the “best and brightest” talent is critical to success.

This should be good news to HR leaders. While some new workforce challenges have emerged over the past two years – notably, the impact of remote & hybrid work and helping employees address work/life balance – the core career and talent management issues HR leaders have always focused on remain critical to an organization’s success: ensuring the right talent are in the right roles, creating opportunities for internal talent mobility and employee development, and designing a work environment that ensures “stickiness” and encourages retention. Yes, we live in a “VUCA” world – volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous – but research shows there are constants to what employees desire: a sense of connectedness to a broader purpose, a work experience that provides growth and development opportunities, and respectful, collaborative relationships with their co-workers and leaders.

How then can HR and business leaders help employees and companies navigate the new world of work? Creating an effective roadmap will require fresh thinking at the macro level – looking at the design of the HR function – as well as innovative and creative solutions in HR programs and solutions delivered at the operating level. Let’s start with reshaping the HR function, which has a history as a support function. Moving to a future as a Strategic Partner requires a more dynamic model, with three areas of focus:

Elevating HR through digitization and improving the capabilities of HR professionals, especially regarding agile processes and workflow.
Focusing on the design of the employee experience by treating employees as customers and identifying the “moments that matter,” similar to how retail stores interact with their customers.
Emphasizing a “friction-less” HR delivery model in which the core tenets of the classic Ulrich model – HR Business Partners, Centers of Excellence, and Shared Services – remain but cross-functional, cross-regional collaboration is heightened.

And at the HR program level, consider these areas:

Think broadly about recruitment by re-evaluating job requirements to become more skill-focused, and resisting implicit bias against non-industry experience, career changers, or unemployed individuals.
Think beyond compensation by emphasizing total rewards, flexibility, training opportunities, and family-friendly benefit offerings.
Prioritize mental health. The pandemic toll on mental well-being has been widely documented; show that this is understood by offering extensive resources.
Think carefully about Work-from-Home policies, recognizing that a “one-size-fits-all” approach will likely not work for most organizations. Seek employee feedback, understand the organization’s needs, and constantly communicate the rationale for any policy decision.
Re-engage and re-recruit your employees. Recognize that employees need to be re-oriented to the values, culture, and work environment. Think of it as an opportunity to deepen your relationship with your workforce.
Teach Leaders to lead with trust, support, and flexibility. The remote work experiment forced on most companies by the pandemic required managers to interact differently with their teams, with less micro-management and more trust and support. Don’t let a return to in-person work, including hybrid models, erode the trust and autonomy that employees seek.

A primary responsibility of the HR function is to enhance the “health” of the organization. A healthy organization values its employees, provides growth and career development opportunities, and seeks ways to nurture, strengthen, and grow the relationship. As an HR leader, don’t let the turmoil of the last two years take your focus off this path, and you will serve as an exceptional guide in helping your workforce navigate the new world of work.

Rob Croner
Senior Consulting Advisor
CCI Consulting

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Managing the Emotional Roller Coaster of Job Loss – 5 Tips for Moving Forward

CCI Consulting — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 17:41:38 +0000

Any reflection on the past 18 months reveals the uncertainty in the job market. The year 2020 saw record unemployment claim filings as the economic disruption generated by COVID resulted in organizations eliminating jobs in efforts to manage expenses. Now in 2021, we see a rebirth of the “war for talent” as many companies are seeking to ramp up hiring in light of an improving economic picture. Move the lens back to the past 20 years and a similar cycle is repeated—recessions in 2001 and 2008 with substantial job loss, followed by periods of growth and re-employment. A realistic assessment is that job loss is a very real threat for individuals across all types of jobs, spanning multiple industries.

Losing a job can be a devastating event, causing an individual to feel confused, anxious, and uncertain about what to do next. It is common for people to cling to what is familiar and comfortable, so looking for the same type of job feels both safe and an action that will allow them to stay on track in their career journey. But events that disrupt our normal routines have the potential to catalyze real significant change, primarily by providing the opportunity to experiment with new activities or approaches.

Interestingly, we all experience a series of life transitions such as childhood, teenage years, adulthood, middle age, and late career. These phases often provoke a mix of —excitement, anxiousness, anticipation, nervousness—and can be an unsettling or uncomfortable period. But it is this unsettled feeling—a concept known as liminality—in which important internal work is being done that enables us to progress through the change, into the new life phase. Liminality is the uncertain, emotionally confusing period of being between something and feeling untethered, and this is an apt concept for career management. Individuals may struggle to let go of the familiarity and structure of their current life, even if dissatisfied with it, because the new life is ambiguous and not yet fully formed. These emotions can be paralyzing and hold people back from making decisions and choices that will propel them forward to a more satisfying future.

By introducing the concept of liminality, career transition coaching can help individuals understand that their emotions are a normal and expected part of the transition journey. Research by Herminia Ibarra (2021), among others, suggests that we are more likely to make lasting change when we actively engage in a three-part cycle of transition, one that gets us to focus on separation, liminality, and reintegration. Separation—from habits, routines, and structure which occurs as the result of job loss—helps us become more malleable which, in turn, allows us to be more open to new or different experiences. A job loss also triggers a time of being “in between”—out of our old job but not yet in a new role. But this in-between period also presents a wonderful learning opportunity. During what may be viewed as an “unproductive” period, we are doing important internal work by asking important existential questions, remembering what makes us happy, and consolidating our sense of self.

How does one move forward? By embracing this period of uncertainty and using it to create a new “working identity.” Career transition is an active process of experimenting with new professional activities, interacting in new networks of people, and making sense of what is happening in light of emerging possibilities. Ironically, it is the very uncertainty created by job loss that—if effectively leveraged—provides an individual with the opportunity to distance themselves from their former professional identity and experiment with new, different identities; these experiments ultimately enable you to develop a new sense of purpose and career goals.

What can you do, specifically, to help navigate the transition process?

Know What’s Coming – The job search process can be as short as several weeks or, more likely, last several months. There will be weeks where you have multiple networking meetings and interviews scheduled, and then—radio silence—making you feel confused and frustrated. Knowing in advance to expect this up-and-down cycle and swings in activity can help you better anticipate and handle them when they do occur.
Process Your Emotions – Engaging in activities like meditation, journaling, or walking can help you process negative emotions as they arise. It is this ability to experience our emotions, without judging them or trying to change them, that allows us to move through the emotions more quickly and effectively.
Get Support – Having someone to talk to through your job search, such as a career transition coach or job-search work group, can provide much needed emotional support, beyond friends and family. At CCI, we offer monthly Career Transition Networking sessions in which participants can engage in an informal, collegial group that helps normalize what you are experiencing and feeling through different phases of your job search.
Engage in Energizing Activities – Remember to make time for yourself and make sure your days include activities that revitalize and energize you. Your mood and overall energy level will show in interactions with others, whether it’s a coffee meeting, a networking event, or a job interview.
Put Things in Perspective – It’s normal to feel discouraged when things don’t progress in the job search the way you would like; perhaps a recruiter didn’t get back in touch within the timeframe they originally told you. Take a step back to think about what other priorities might be on their plate. Seeing this perspective can help de-personalize the situation and mitigate any negative emotions you may feel.

A job search can be a long and arduous process. But you can embrace the uncertainty and use it to propel meaningful change in your career journey, and these strategies can help you navigate the inevitable highs and lows along the way.

Rob Croner
Vice President, Senior Executive Services
CCI Consulting

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How to Help Employees Transition to Retirement

CCI Consulting — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 13:57:37 +0000

The transition to retirement can be an extremely overwhelming process for both employees and employers. Retiring employees face concerns and uncertainty as they move from a full-time income to relying on Social Security benefits and retirement savings. For employers, losing long-tenured employees can create critical gaps in their talent and knowledge base if they do not have a strategic retirement process in place.

What strategies and best practices can organizations implement to make retirement transition successful for both the retiree and the organization?

Here are 5 ways to help employees make a smooth transition to retirement.

1. Assess Your Culture

Does your company discuss retirement openly, with positive tones? Having a retirement-positive culture is critical to help employees plan and feel supported as they prepare for their next stage in life. It also helps give organizations more time to plan career paths and create better continuity.

Another benefit of fostering a positive culture around retirement is that it can reduce the taboo of leaving which often results in an employee’s surprise retirement announcements and leaves the organization rushing to replace them and fill in gaps in key positions or the leadership funnel.

2. Support Early Retirement Planning

A poll of HR leaders in our June 2021 webinar, “Uncovering the Most Overlooked Component in Your Talent Strategy: Employee Transitions”, showed that 67% of employees begin thinking about their retirement between the ages of 55 and 65. Leading organizations realize that retirement planning begins as early as 30 years before retirement and have started providing support to emerging employees early in their careers.

At Subaru of America, employees are encouraged to have conversations around retirement early, when they still have time to plan financially and prepare for the emotional, lifestyle, and family adjustments that will happen. Thinking about the retirement process early can help employees better understand whether they can afford retirement, as well as determine what they want their retirement years to look like, if they’re healthy enough to engage in the activities they have planned, and if they’re prepared emotionally for the transition. This kind of attention to life-after-work planning builds employee loyalty and retention.

3. Offer Flexible Alternatives

Many retirement-age employees want to continue working—and they may need to for financial reasons. Phased retirement programs, widely used to assist workers in their shift away from the workforce, allow employees to modify their workload, either by transitioning to part-time work or by having their hours reduced.

Offering phased retirement options to your older workers allows both your organization and the worker to adjust over time, rather than scramble to deal with an abrupt departure. With phased retirement options, organizations can plan better since they know well in advance when an employee plans to leave and can arrange for experienced workers to mentor younger ones, transferring their years of employer-specific knowledge.

4. Take a Holistic Approach

Retirement is more than just ending one’s career to live off accumulated savings. With growing life expectancies, retirement can last well beyond 30 years! For many workers, their employer is the primary source, and sometimes the only source, of information and support for retirement preparation. Providing a form of retirement coaching that looks beyond the finances can help employees prepare and experience a more fulfilling retirement. Through CCI’s Retirement Options program, employees are guided through the retirement planning process with a certified career coach, assessing and exploring areas of their lives such as work, family, leisure, wellness, and personal development. In addition to one-on-one retirement coaching, participants have access to a web-based portal with support materials to help them plan their retirement as well as facilitated workshops and access to assessments.

5. Recognize Them

It’s important to recognize the benefits older workers who are nearing retirement bring to the organization. They have years of knowledge and experience, dedication to the job and company, and a strong work ethic. In addition, older workers are able to provide leadership and mentoring to younger employees, which helps foster knowledge transfer.

Recognize the contributions those near retirement have made to the organization by engaging them in mentorship programs, asking for their input, and putting them on new project teams. A common misconception is that older workers are not interested in new opportunities or trainings and are just “coasting” until they retire. By engaging them, recognizing the value they bring, and providing them with additional training, retiring employees will feel valued for their work and supported in their journey.

Making retirement a positive event and properly preparing for and supporting an employee’s retirement creates a win-win for the organization and retiree. Organizations can reduce stress, improve succession planning, strengthen engagement, and ensure a smooth and successful transition for retiring employees that minimizes disruption, leadership gaps or “brain drain.”

Learn more about CCI’s Retirement Transition Planning and Coaching Support here or contact us for a free consultation today.

Get our latest insights and best practices on the most definitive workforce

topics affecting HR leaders and organizations today.

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4 Tips for Finding a Job in the COVID Era

CCI Consulting — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 13:53:34 +0000

2020 has been a tumultuous year on many fronts, including career management and job transition. Many companies have needed to make difficult decisions to restructure their workforce, resulting in job loss for staff members. The COVID pandemic and ensuing restrictions on travel and in-person gatherings forced companies to overhaul their recruiting and hiring processes in order to adapt to a virtual world.

Almost overnight, interviews and networking were happening via Zoom or other online technology platforms, causing job seekers to radically adjust their job search techniques. When you look a bit deeper, though, it’s apparent that many of the key components of an effective job search – having an updated resume and LinkedIn Profile; making networking contacts; doing your research – are still as important as ever. But the question remains: How can someone most effectively look for a new job in today’s turbulent environment?

It takes work, some creativity, and a fresh look at your network of contacts to find a new position in this disrupted job market. There is no clear playbook to follow, as we have never experienced times like these before. But there are some emerging best practices to help you navigate your job search in the COVID era.

Networking is a Must

With economic uncertainty fueling job concerns, networking is a step no job seeker can afford to skip. LinkedIn says applicants on the platform are nearly three times as likely to get a job at a company where they have a connection, which points to the power of leveraging your professional relationships. Now is a great time to catch up with former co-workers, and experienced professionals should make a conscious effort to stay connected virtually with the people they used to see in person.

It’s also helpful to explore virtual events through industry networking groups, many of which are offering free webinars. Join or increase your use of online networking sites and apps to keep in touch. Virtual meetings allow people to have choice in identifying those that they think would be helpful in a way that in-person networking events can’t. And don’t overlook networking opportunities on Instagram or Twitter, where people in creative industries may showcase their work.

Finally, widen your circle of contacts to include “weak ties,” people you might not have talked to in some time; they are more likely to have new information than those with whom you are in regular touch. Don’t be shy about reconnecting with a professional contact you haven’t been in touch with for some time; people are invariably happy to re-connect and help in any way they can.

Have Clear and Specific Goals

When you are out of a job, it may be difficult to distinguish professional priorities beyond getting a paycheck. But if you haven’t defined what you are looking for and can’t articulate this to recruiters or people in your network, it will make it hard for them to help you and can slow down your job search. Being clear about the position you want isn’t the same as being picky – it helps focus the job search on areas where you are more likely to be successful. And while job seekers may feel impatient to land their next role, be mindful to remain calm and professional when reconnecting with contacts or recruiters.

It also pays to identify which firms and industries are still hiring. According to data from Glassdoor, health care, e-commerce, logistics, and technology companies have been showing particular growth; while insurance, construction and real estate have been slower to rebound. Certainly, company performance within industries can vary significantly, so job seekers may find more success developing a target list of prospering companies.. A tech firm primarily serving the restaurant industry may not be doing so well, but tech firms serving e-commerce and delivery likely offer a wider variety of job openings.

Be Flexible – and Realistic – about Location

Complex office reopenings and social distancing measures have many companies reexamining the importance of an employee’s proximity to the office. The number of remote jobs posted on job-search site Glassdoor, for example, has increased over 50% compared with a year ago. But remember there’s a big difference between a job that is 100% remote and 85% remote – if you still have to go into the office even just once a month, this needs to factor into how wide of a net you cast in the job search. Unless an employer has confirmed that a job is fully remote and will remain that way, candidates should be prepared to return to the office at least occasionally.

Be Prepared for a Completely Virtual Interview and On-boarding Process

As noted earlier, the COVID pandemic has completely reshuffled the interview process; now, it is normal to be interviewed and start a new job without meeting anyone in person. As a result, job seekers need to be prepared to stand out, even if they are sitting at home alone.. Bias and immediate assumptions about a person are really powerful – the moment you first come into the virtual frame, the interviewer will form an impression of you – so it is important to be more thoughtful in the connection you are making. Being prepared with anecdotes or being aware of what is happening in the interviewer’s location or what they might be experiencing can lend a more human connection to the virtual setting.

It’s also helpful to take a “dry run” with a friend or colleague to make sure your technology is working and the setting looks professional. And it is best to over-dress for the interview, even in today’s increasingly casual business environment; you won’t lose points if you are the most dressed-up person on the video call.

It’s been an eventful and rapidly changing year, but these tips will help best prepare you to lead a productive and effective job search. Good luck!

Rob Croner
VP, Senior Executive Services
CCI Consulting

Have you been laid off due to COVID? Check out these free resources to help you navigate your job search.

Help Your Displaced Employees Get Back to Work During COVID-19

If your organization is facing upcoming layoffs, CCI Consulting’s outplacement support will help your exiting employees prepare for a successful job search. Whether planned or unexpected, downsizings and employee separations can be challenging for everyone involved, especially in today’s complex business climate. Our outplacement programs pair your exiting employees with an experienced career consultant and provides them with 24/7 access to our robust online career management portal, PowerMyCareer.

Contact us today to learn more about our high-touch, high-tech outplacement solutions that are helping people land every day.

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Managing the Employee Experience in a Downsizing Environment

CCI Consulting — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 11:55:15 +0000

Welcome to final part of our five-part thought leadership blog series, Elevating the Employee Experience for the New World of Work. You can read parts one through four here.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States is seeing unprecedented numbers of employee furloughs, layoffs, and reductions in force (RIF), resulting in historically high unemployment rates. Companies are struggling to make financial decisions regarding their employees’ futures in the workforce.

The decision to eliminate positions is a timely, difficult process that, if not executed correctly, could have adverse effects on employee engagement, morale, and productivity as well as company reputation. When layoffs are necessary, much effort is focused on the preparation: identifying affected positions, conducting meetings, and delivering severance packages. However, support efforts do not end with the separation process. All staff members are affected by the reduction: exiting employees must begin their job search; surviving employees must adapt to their new work environment; and managers must restructure responsibilities and duties. Research shows that downsizing a workforce by 1% leads to a 31% increase in voluntary turnover the next year. What’s more, A 2002 study by Magnus Sverke and Johnny Hellgren of Stockholm University and Katharina Näswall of University of Canterbury found that after a layoff, survivors experienced a 41% decline in job satisfaction, a 36% decline in organizational commitment, and a 20% decline in job performance.

Leaders and HR must have a strategic and transparent approach to support all employees before, during and after the downsizing to ensure their organization and employer brand remain resilient.

Supporting Impacted Employees

Job loss is one of the top 10 most stressful life events. Accompanied by the pandemic, the immediate impact on the employee and family can be very real and detrimental. Employees who have lost their jobs feel extreme pressure on several fronts: they need to support themselves and their families, and they also likely feel an acute need for medical benefits for themselves and their dependents. As the job market continues to evolve, navigating the changing environment can be overwhelming. Progressive organizations of all sizes provide displaced employees with outplacement or career transition services. Career transition services provide the best opportunity to help leaders balance careful strategy, set the former employee up for success, and sends a positive message that reassures remaining employees.

Each individual’s career transition is a unique journey. CCI’s Career Transition services deliver a personalize approach beyond the resume and branding. Each displaced employee (participant) is assigned a coach that will help them navigate the separation from the organization, improving their chances of landing another job by developing their skills and improving their self-confidence. Coaches get to know the participant on a personal level and build a strategy around their needs and challenges. Job search fundamentals including, resume development, LinkedIn optimization, job search strategies, personal branding, networking, and interviewing techniques are reviewed with the participant for maximum development. Employers who invest in career transition services, invest in their former employee’s future, mitigating the risk of reputational harm.

Reassuring Remaining Staff

Following a staffing reduction, surviving employees often feel a range of emotions including guilt, anxiety, stress and anger. Leaders and HR staff must have a strategy to support these employees. Consistent communication is key. Rumors will generate and it is important to communicate the truth about the organizational changes and what the plan is moving forward. Employees will question what their future holds and how will the work get done with less people? The best strategy is to keep employees engaged and informed. Establish open lines of communication so staff can understand the changes and involve them in the process as much as possible. Many employers will seek employee feedback through Pulse Surveys. Leaders will be able to compile responses to better understand how the workforce is coping, determine morale, and identify ways to improve and reengage employees.

Furthermore, offering programs such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) can provide confidential counseling services and help employees address their questions and concerns and ease fears. As a result, employees will feel supported and have a connection and investment in the company moving forward.

Safeguarding Your Employer Brand

Finally, it is no secret that a company’s reputation is built on its mission, vision, and values. During transitional periods, an organization’s response to change can have long-standing effects on business operations and employee / customer engagement. How employers treat their employees during this critical time defines what the employer brand really represents. The employee experience is quintessential to maintain a positive reputation. Employees, both past and present, are brand representatives and are willing to share their experiences on social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google and Glassdoor. A negative employee experience can adversely affect attracting top-tier talent and retaining existing employees. A survey by Indeed found that 83% of job seekers decide where to apply based on company reviews. Additionally, if the employee experience does not align with the company’s values, it may impact relationships with current and future customers. Essentially, when making layoffs, employers need to take action that backs up their brand.

The short-term cost of providing support to employees is far outweighed by the long-term benefits:

Investment in exiting employees for future success
Trust and transparency among existing workforce
Improved employee / customer engagement
Retaining and attracting talent
Maintaining a positive brand image

During this unprecedented time, having a formal outplacement strategy that supports both displaced and remaining employees during and after a workforce transition is arguably more important today than ever before. A reduction in force is never easy. By investing in the future of the employees being impacted and in the future of your organization, you’ll ensure that the separation is positive and successful.

Kelly Marolf
Human Resources Consultant
CCI Consulting

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The post Managing the Employee Experience in a Downsizing Environment appeared first on CCI Consulting.

Managing Workforce Reductions in Today’s Remote COVID-19 Environment

CCI Consulting — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 15:01:42 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic has sent shock waves rippling through the world economy. Almost immediately, we shifted to a work-from-home environment across virtually every industry sector. Many organizations are now facing the very real possibility of furloughing employees, implementing layoffs or eliminating jobs completely. These actions might be critical for the sustainability of the organization, but they will be more challenging to implement while unprecedented numbers of employees are temporarily working from home.

Given current economic conditions and widespread disruptions to business and personal life, the impact on those displaced, those remaining, and the organization as a whole will be significantly greater than normal. It is therefore critical to recognize and respond to the unique dynamics of displacing workers in the midst of the COVID-19 situation.

Planning and Preparation

Planning and preparation for action is challenging because of the dynamic nature and unknown duration of the situation. While the near-term business impact of COVID-19 is clear for many organizations, the full magnitude and duration of the impact is not yet known. While this makes planning a challenge, employee-related expenses are typically amongst the biggest costs for any organization, which means they may need to be addressed.

Many organizations have opted for an 80% work week at 80% pay since this creates a 20% reduction in expenses while maintaining and protecting organizational capacity for recovery. Other organizations have determined that their drop in business has been too steep and/or will last too long to avoid layoffs. In these situations, immediate action is required and the shift to work from home requires alternatives to in-person separation meetings.

Logistics and Implementation

Video conferencing or phone is the most realistic and appropriate alternative for giving notification of the layoff or job elimination. While not ideal, these tools provide a much better avenue for sharing the message in an empathetic way and verifying the message was received than notification by email or other messaging platforms.

Group notifications via video or phone conferencing makes sense for large layoffs as these channels provide consistency and timeliness of message. They are an effective way to announce what is happening and why, but they are not effective as a forum for providing individual information, discussing the logistics of handing off work, or addressing employee-specific concerns. Individual video or phone conferences are preferred when the number of people being notified make this a possibility.

Regardless of the forum, it is critical to have a script to make sure the message is clear and consistent. As with in-person separation meetings, it is important to have a second organization representative present on individual notification calls to act as a witness to what was said.

Logistics to consider:

WARN Act – The federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act and various state versions of the WARN Act require advance notice when a mass layoff or plant closing occurs that results in employment loss for a requisite number of people. While the federal WARN Act expressly recognizes that “an unanticipated and dramatic major economic downturn might be considered a business circumstance that is not reasonably foreseeable,” not every state currently has this exception.
Determination on How Severance Will be Handled – Neither your organization nor the individuals impacted by job loss likely had any indication that such action would need to be taken and neither were likely prepared. If your organization has provided severance and career transition assistance in the past, it is strongly recommended that you continue to provide this support as it will be desperately needed. In addition, your remaining employees will be watching and worrying. Providing a safety net to those departing will help both the impacted individuals and your organization rebound.
Delivery of Documents in Follow-up to the Announcement – Since the meeting will not be in person, the separation letter and any other supporting documents will need to be delivered by email, or overnight delivery. Resources such as DocuSign could be utilized for the remote signing of benefits, severance and release agreement documents and may add some level of efficiency to the process. Some states have final paycheck laws that stipulate the timeframe an employer has to deliver a former employee’s last paycheck. Some require immediate payment while others allow for the next payroll cycle.
Return of Company Property – Arrangements need to be made for return of company material and company provided equipment (i.e., laptop, cell phone, etc.). Returning these items by FedEx or UPS probably makes the most sense but may entail logistical challenges in terms of payment and where to send the equipment if your physical office location is temporarily closed. If severance is being offered, consider adding language to the severance agreement that states that severance will be withheld if specified company property is not returned in a specified period of time.
Return of Employee’s Personal Possessions – Separated employees who were working at your office prior to the work-from-home scenario may still have personal possessions at the office. Instructions will need to be provided on logistics of returning these items.
IT Considerations – As with any separation, access to email and other systems needs to be rescinded and this needs to coincide with the separation date.
Transition of Work – Since the impacted employee is working remotely and all or part of their work product may reside outside the office, their manager needs to have a plan to get a status update and secure work done on ongoing projects before the employee’s last day.
EAP Support – If your employee benefit plan includes an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP), this can be a valuable resource for both your departing employees and your remaining employees as they deal with the ramifications of all that is happening.

Communication and Business Continuity

Layoffs and position elimination cause angst and disruption for the entire organization. Clear communication and a focus on business continuity helps ease the trauma and provides focus for remaining employees.

As quickly as possible, let the broader organization know what steps have been taken, why, and what will happen next in terms logistics and redistribution of work. A similar communication plan needs to be implemented for clients, vendors, or other key constituents to ensure continuity. Whatever the situation, proactive communication is always better than letting the rumor mill define and circulate the message. These are difficult times which may require difficult actions. Organizations that focus on handling these actions as best they can, practicing good communication, and maintaining an appropriate degree of business continuity will weather this storm better than those that are rash in how they slash their people costs.

Brian Clapp
President
CCI Consulting

The post Managing Workforce Reductions in Today’s Remote COVID-19 Environment appeared first on CCI Consulting.

6 Ways to Adapt to an Aging Workforce

CCI Consulting — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 16:42:06 +0000

In today’s environment of rapid change, forward-thinking organizations recognize the need for strategic workforce planning. Aligning talent strategy with the business strategy leads to smooth succession planning, increases the organization’s ability to respond to growth opportunities, ensures appropriate transfer of critical knowledge and intellectual property, and improves overall organizational performance.

However, there is one cohort that is often overlooked in workforce planning – the older worker or “late-stage careerist.” There is a lot of talk about gender bias, racial bias and culture bias at work, and each of these are important issues. But perhaps one of the most problematic types of bias we face is the bias of age: we often evaluate people based on their age and this is becoming a major challenge in the workplace.

Demographics in the U.S. and other developed nations point to a workforce that is aging at a rapid rate. People age 60 and over are expected to outnumber children under the age of 5 within the next year, and by 2025, it is expected that 25% of workers in the U.S. will be over the age of 55. Since 2018, job vacancies have outnumbered job applicants, largely as a result of baby boomers reaching retirement at a rate faster than millennials or Gen Z are able to step in to replace them.

These statistics reflect two clear demographic trends. First, people are living longer – in the U.S., the average life expectancy was 47 in 1900; it is 79 years today, and by the end of the 21st century it may be 100 or longer. Second, young people are having fewer children and fertility rates are declining throughout the industrialized world. These trends, coupled with stagnating gains in productivity rates, paint a worrisome picture for economic growth.

A potential solution lies with the older worker, and a compelling business argument can be made to hire and retain late-stage career workers and give them meaningful and important jobs. Research suggests that age does correspond with workplace wisdom. For most people, raw mental horsepower declines after the age of 30, but knowledge and expertise – the main predictors of job performance – keep increasing even beyond the age of 80. And beyond the value and competence older employees can bring to the workforce, there is the issue of cognitive diversity. The vast majority of societal advancements – whether in science, business, sports or the arts – are the result of people working together as a cohesive unit. The best way to maximize team output is to get people of different ages and experiences working together.

People of every age are motivated to come to work and are capable of making meaningful contributions. As the global economy ages, addressing the issue of age bias will become even more important. Follow the lead of progressive companies who are using many of the following strategies to make the workplace more welcoming for older employees:

Bring age diversity into your Diversity & Inclusion programs – research shows that age-diverse teams feel more psychological safety and innovation than teams which are age-biased. Age brings a sense of security and wisdom to teams.
Teach younger leaders about reverse mentoring – show them how they can help older people and understand how to manage older employees, who have biases of their own.
Offer accommodations for flexible work – this includes more accessible workstations with more light, larger fonts, and ease of access that can help support the needs of people of all ages.
Look at pay equity by job and level, not by tenure – tenure is a useful measure for pay when it directly translates into experience and skills that bring value to the company. It’s more than okay for an older person to make less money than a younger person if they are new to the job.
Recruit – or “return” – older people – many leading companies – GM, Boeing, Walgreens – invite older workers to come back from retirement through specific programs tailored to the aging and branded as “returnships.” Other companies welcome older workers into volunteer or “ambassador” programs.
Support retirement planning – many older employees have retirement on their minds, even while still in the workforce. Most organizations offer financial planning tools and vehicles but fail to recognize the life-altering shift that comes with retirement. Programs like New Horizons take a wholistic view of retirement to better prepare workers, easing their concerns and ensuring continued engagement and productivity.

These are just a few examples, but they point to a broader challenge and opportunity for both company executives and HR leaders: If you can create an inclusive, fair and meaningful experience for older workers, as well as younger ones, you will not only find your company becomes more innovative, engaging and profitable over time, you will also be benefiting society at large.

Rob Croner,
Vice President, Senior Executive Services
CCI Consulting

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Conducting an Effective Executive Job Search

CCI Consulting — Tue, 21 May 2019 18:15:35 +0000

Six Principles for a Successful Executive-Level Job Search

In today’s dynamic and competitive job market, the elements of an effective executive-level job search are very different than what may be utilized for non-executive roles. It can be seductive to spend time on job boards responding to advertised openings—but this is a low probability exercise. The three channels of activity that drive any effective professional job search are networking, targeted direct outreach, and executive search firms. Actively working all three channels through specific and sustained activity yields the best results. This is especially true for an executive-level search, as the level of competition is intense and there are fewer opportunities at this level than at lower levels.

Getting started

An effective job search begins with a realistic assessment of skills, background, and experiences to define the value proposition that you bring to the market. With a realistic assessment of yourself, the next step is to define the range of industries, organizations, and roles that have a need for your unique combination of skills and experiences, and in which you would likely bring value to the organization. Resume, biography, and social media accounts (i.e. LinkedIn) are then created, or updated, to reflect and highlight your relevant background and experience as they relate to the industry, function, and/or opportunity you are trying to secure.

Limit the time spent on job posting websites

Most people spend way too much time trolling around job posting websites, but this is usually a time waster that does not yield success unless coupled with other more active efforts. Online postings typically generate hundreds of eager and well-qualified responses. However, the typical applicant tracking system uses algorithms to filter the pool of applicants, so only a select few are ever seen by the people involved in the hiring process. It’s a very efficient process for the hiring company but it is unrealistic to expect a positive outcome if an individual is passive and simply waits for opportunities to present themselves.

Spend a lot of time networking

The most important factor in an executive-level job search is the sustained effort to secure introductions, conversations, and interviews with individuals and organizations who might have a need for your skills. Networking involves a pragmatic approach to identifying and connecting with people who can provide information, insight, or connections that bridge to potential opportunities. Effective networking requires an investment of time and commitment to follow-up and follow-through on potential leads even though many will not directly result in a job. Some conversations yield valuable information or connect directly to a specific immediate opportunity while other networking conversations lead to connections with other networking contacts. Be patient and maintain the effort.

While networking often starts with those who are close contacts, it should expand as a job seeker stays connected with those in their personal network. The expectation is that the broader group will then provide additional insight and connections within the industry or with specific organizations or opportunities.

Do targeted direct outreach

While networking seeks to leverage the strengths of personal relationships, business connections, and social interactions, direct outreach involves proactive outreach to targeted organizations and individuals without the benefit of prior relationship or a network referral. Direct outreach is as simple as writing, calling, or emailing a targeted organization or individual to see if they would be receptive to an initial conversation to explore the possibility of mutual interest.

There are two key things that make direct outreach effective. One is targeting so there is a clear and obvious connection between your skills and background and the potential needs of the organization. The more alignment, the more likely there will be a positive response to the direct outreach.

The second key to successful direct outreach is the breadth and depth of the outreach. In terms of breadth, there needs to be enough activity to generate a positive result. If someone only reaches out to two organizations, they would need a 50% response rate to secure one follow-up. If that same individual reached out to 10 organizations, a 10% response rate would yield a meeting. Extend that activity to 100 organizations and apply the same math, and it could result in 10 follow-up meetings.

Successful direct outreach requires appropriate follow-up to help cut through the distractions and increase the odds of a positive response. If a job seeker sends a single email to a busy executive, it is not likely they will get a response. If on the other hand, they send a follow-up email a few days later or they reach out by phone as well, the odds of contact and conversation are greatly increased.

Tap into executive search firms

Many executive-level roles are filled through executive retained search. The larger and more visible the role, the more likely it is an organization will hire a search firm to manage the process. To be considered as a candidate for these roles, the job seeker must first gain visibility and credibility with the external recruiter. This is typically done through networking and direct outreach.

Since search firms are retained to find the best overall candidate for a specific role, they are evaluating and screening potential candidates on a variety of tangible and intangible factors. A retained search process usually involves the screening of 100 or more candidates to create a pool of four-to-five that are interviewed by their client. Those who have the requisite skills, background, and experience are in the initial screening pool of 100 or more. The few who have the greatest demonstrated alignment with what are perceived to be the most important success factors for that specific role at that specific organization make it to the interview process.

Some interactions with search consultants will lead to interviews and job offers while others may lead to disappointment, but the disappointments can also lead to valuable insights and information. While you may not be identified as best fit for one role, you may be an ideal fit for another. A candidate will not be presented to more than one client at a time but search firms keep track of those clients they interact with. If a candidate makes a positive (or negative) impression, search consultants remember that and factor it in when they, or their colleagues, are working on other similar searches.

Balanced activity yields the best outcome

Resist the temptation of doing a largely online job search. There is a high correlation between the effort and activity people put into their job search and the success of the search. Greater success will come more quickly by engaging in active and ongoing networking combined with a high degree of direct outreach and targeted interaction with executive search professionals. Individuals who leverage all three activities will generally land better positions faster than those who put more limited effort into networking, outreach, and navigating the executive search arena in favor of simply responding to open online postings.

Rob Croner
Vice President, Senior Executive Services
CCI Consulting

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