Job change, termination, the quality of candidate pool, support through career transition – no matter which viewpoint we choose, we are inevitably faced both with the complexities of the outplacement process and with its underlying principles. These stable characteristics provide a good starting point towards understanding outplacement and allow us to become successful participants in this process.

  • Job change is a stressful event and its intensity may vary.

On a list containing 41 situations which people consider as stressful, as many as 11 are closely connected to change related to the field of work (the stress scale was defined by Holmes & Rahe, 1967). Contemporary trends surely contribute to the share of stressors related to the business sphere owing to the factors such as change intensity and technological progress. Today, we witness that career paths seen as a “stable movement upwards” are an outdated concept. Instead, career paths can be considered as a collection of experiences, positions, companies, colleagues and salaries, the layout of which on the timeline is not predetermined.  At this point, it is enough for us to agree that the period in between jobs is an integral part of a person’s career, without which there wouldn’t even be one. This alone is sufficient to reduce our stress levels.

Loss of employment is not something we strive for. Nevertheless stress reactions can be caused by voluntary changes as well. Through the work we do with our clients, especially with hard-to-employ categories, their otherwise dormant internal strengths and knowledge transfer are activated. Situations we face can be quite difficult but never catastrophic, which means there is always a lot we can do. Our starting point in outplacement is always to reduce stress and mental blocks, which allows us to move forward. Reducing importance and severity of the client’s situation is never the goal. Rather, we promote constructive resolutions.

  • The individual, the company and the market – outplacement benefits all.

Quality resolution makes for a better beginning. Such is the principle when it comes to relationships but the same rule applies to the business world as well. That is why outplacement brings benefits everywhere. The market and the employers require new team members. They hope for enthusiastic and burden-free individuals, ready to tackle the workload. Companies are aware that their past employees do not remain trapped in the past but act as active participants on the job market, which makes them permanent and “free” brand ambassadors. On the other hand, past employees recognize the complexity of their position and the benefits that come with increased visibility on the job market. On top of it all, pleasant business relations leading to efficient and sustainable outcomes are in the interest of both parties mentioned.

The so-called “exit interview” is a prime example of what we said in the previous paragraph and it represents a means of honest feedback and a chance for growth. The growth component is reflected in the opportunity to exchange information relevant for the future of both parties involved and to determine the benefits of staying in touch. Both the employer and the employee should leave their disagreements, guilt and anger behind after they exit this safe-zone and move on to the market and towards future challenges as capable as they can be. With this approach we achieve psychological security as well as a healthy foundation for future activities of all participants.

 

  • We are capable of going through change alone, but support makes it more efficient.

Uncertainty is an inescapable fact of all change. What lies around the corner, beyond excitement and fear? After passing through an emotional whirlpool, the perceptions of our current and future reality can become twisted. They may be affected by emotions which sometimes contradict each other. That can cause difficulties in dealing with the situation at hand. For this purpose, the situation requires caring and empathic monitoring coupled with objective feedback. Without emotions we wouldn’t have a complete picture. However, unhealthy emotions (both positive and negative) hinder healthy response. Career change is a certainty for all, but that change is usually more long-lasting and less dramatic than the acute cases are. Digitalization, team formation and change of self are all professional changes we already learned how to cope with successfully, through experience. Sometimes, all we need as a means of support is to be reminded of that experience when necessary. Our clients often forget the benefits of positive knowledge transfer – their past experience in handling complex issues that reminds them of what they’ve handled naturally and with ease, what they’ve neglected and the lessons they’ve learned. This keeps them chained to the present problem and the single perspective they currently possess.

Support comes from empowerment – the technical side of which is the creation of an informative and representative resume so that they can start applying right away, which is of great importance initially. Nevertheless, the true empowerment is mainly psychological. Job change can be seen as a process of personal development. We exit this tumultuous period with fresh knowledge and experience which we will use as a foundation to build upon through future work and work ethics. All the tools we require in order to handle this change are right in our toolbox. All we need to do is gab them firmly and apply them to their fullest extent in the name of future victories.

Last but not least, no matter how we approach this issue, we will face the same important questions:

What is the silver lining in all of this?

What resources do we have at our disposal?

When we look back to his day one year from now, how would we like to have acted today? So that is what we need to do then…

 

Anyways, those of you who require additional information about Assert outplacement and our programs regarding external career support for both companies and individuals can find out more through this link or you are welcome to contact us any time through our office e-mail: info@assert.pro