Having a good outplacement provider is a bit like having house insurance. With insurance you hope you never need to use it, but when your house gets burgled and you feel devastated – you are so glad you have it. The thought of insurance helps you get over the initial shock and anguish, then the money helps you replace what was taken and move forward more positively.

I tend to think of outplacement in the same way. From an organisational perspective you hope you don’t need to use our services but when you do, you are glad you have us. This was brought home to me in a very real way the other day when someone I had provided career transition support to, who was devastated when she heard her role was being made redundant, called me to tell me about her new role. She was so excited and full of optimism and joy, it was infectious to hear plus there was a whole lot of relief in her voice.  

I want you to imagine, you were this person, perhaps for some, you have in fact been this person. She had a plan for her life and career, prior to being violently shoved off that track through no fault of her own. The shock was devastating for her. When we first met, she was angry, sad, terrified, frustrated, bitter and fearful – all rolled into one. Through our work, she came to see this as an opportunity to think about what she really wanted to do and to learn how to go out and get that for herself. She developed her skills, her confidence and got her ‘mojo’ back – her words not mine.

Speaking of words, when she called to announce her new job, she proceeded to tell me how the outplacement had really helped her. I felt incredibly humbled. She told me that I literally saved her life. She felt she couldn’t see what to do nor envisage a way to start to move forward prior to meeting with me. She said, I helped her realise she wasn’t a ‘failure’ – again her words, not mine. She learnt what to say to her family and friends without feeling embarrassed. She then started to see all her strengths and what she had achieved in her career that was of value to others. She started to speak positively about herself without stumbling. She developed skills and confidence in many ways. From my perspective, I also looked forward to our sessions as she was a wonderful human being, whose company I enjoyed.

If you are in Human Resources or are a Head of People, or a Senior Manager, I am telling you this, not to say how great I am, but to say how great outplacement is and how it really does help those we work with in a deep and profound manner. According to a 2018, Workplace Trends survey, 75% see employers who provide outplacement as attractive and something they consider when making a job acceptance decision.   Maybe candidates think about outplacement like insurance too.

If your organisation doesn’t provide outplacement, I implore you to consider it, I don’t even care if you don’t use Selection Partners. I do care however that you provide this service because I see firsthand know this truly helps people and that’s got to be a good thing.  

By nature, I am a supporting person who works hard and recognises that I am responsible for my actions and hence my results. I also expect others to be the same. The reality is that some people are, some are at times and some simply aren’t. 

I have seen average people succeed through sheer drive and tenacity, whilst on the other hand I have seen talented people fail through fear, not pushing themselves and lack of effort.

When someone is not behaving in a manner you would like or expect them to – you need to ask yourself, some questions.

• Is what they are doing not what I would do, but is it okay and do I need to accept this difference?

• Is what they are doing, unacceptable and if so is it down to understanding of expectations, motivation, skill, or attitude?

If it’s understanding of expectations, then often an authentic conversation about what is expected and the result of the behaviour is enough to get the person back on track. If it’s motivation, we need to ask if it is intrinsic or extrinsic motivation that is lacking? Sometimes it’s simply the wrong job, or the person needs different responsibilities to motivate them. If it’s skill, then training may be better than discipline as long as the person takes on board the need for change.  If it’s attitude, this is the most difficult. If someone has a ‘bad attitude’, unless they become aware of this and actively seek to change themselves, a bad attitude is like a rotten apple in a barrel of pristine shiny crunchy apples. A person with a bad attitude can undermine, infect and damage even the most positive of cultures.

This is where in my view discipline is important.  I don’t think standing the person in the corner will work, but then again.

Selection Partners offers HR consulting services delivered by experience consultants, all of whom have worked in this area for over 15 years. To learn more, contact us today at (03) 9832 8100.

Late last year I was lucky to be a guest at a Board Meeting of the Asia Pacific Logistics Federation (APLF) in Sydney.  What stood out for me was the cooperation between a dozen countries and their thirst for learning.  It was interesting that as the media was reporting about tensions between China and Japan,  I observed the current Chair who was from China, hand over to Japan (as per there constitution), only for Japans representative to reply that China was doing such a good job, that they should Chair the Federation for another term.

This got me thinking, politics and the media sometimes sets the tone for a country, but below that, at operational level, we just get on with it and get things done.  This is especially true across the broader supply chain.  As a recruiter I talk to many people; over the last five years it is fair to say that the supply chain industry has done more with less people.  As human beings we cope.  But, here is the kicker, we keep looking back, waiting for that moment when we get back to the way things were 5 years ago.  Pardon the pun, but that ship has sailed!

We are living in exponential times.  As a human race we have never seen change at this rate, from personal technology to industrial relations and global trade.  We are doing the same things we did five years ago faster and more efficiently but with less people.  Yet, unemployment has remained virtually unchanged during this time in our region.  And, our shopping malls are still full. 

Where does it end?  That I am not sure about, but here are some changes that are happening right now.  Having more than one job, having two or three part time jobs instead of just one while maintaining a successful career;  working over 7 days and a 24 hour cycle.  Why do we need to be in an office between 9am and 5pm, if our customers or suppliers work in a different time zone?  We are also starting to think about utilising our road and rail assets; working nights instead of days, or a mix of both.

What do you think?  Let us know your thoughts.   

 Danny Busija

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