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We’ll get right to the point. If you are a small to medium size business you may be doing your company a disservice by not offering outplacement services.

Large companies that are forced to lay off a percentage of their workforce use, and depend on, outplacement services to help exiting employee’s transition to new careers. They understand that helping separated staff is good for morale, and that it’s beneficial to their bottom line. Helping staff members who are being let go will come back full circle in the form of brand reputation, positive feedback, and most importantly trust from the employees that survive job cuts.

Small to Medium businesses can benefit the same way, if not more. Within these smaller organizations there is a bond that forms among employees. You could even call it a ‘family’ of sorts. When a worker leaves the company for the last time, not only is that employee wondering what will happen next, but the remaining staff will also feel a sense of loss saying good-bye to a work family member.

Providing Outplacement services creates good will, as it shows that you are sympathetic to the situation, truly interested in the well being of departing employees, and are willing to go the extra mile to make sure everyone lands on their feet. Without this, in addition to the possibility of receiving bad reviews at online sites such as Glassdoor, your reputation can suffer within your community, and your remaining employees may lose trust that you have their backs.

In the end, using outplacement services is a win-win. Happier exiting employees, trusting survivors, and preservation of your brands character are all positives in a not so positive situation.

At Clearmont Technologies we are specialists in outplacement services. Our mission is to help you, as well as exiting employees, transition seamlessly and with a positive outcome for all involved. Contact us today to discuss your needs.

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There are some simple and effective strategies to help you get through this challenging time and come out feeling more confident.

First Things First

Don’t panic. Take a deep breath and be gentle with yourself. Even people that know their job is in jeopardy can feel a sense of disbelief when it happens. This is completely normal.

Take a Break

After you’ve found out that your position has been eliminated, the very best thing to do is pause and take a few days, even a couple of weeks if you are in a financial position to do so. This is not a luxury everyone has when they lose their job, but if the option is available to you, it’s a good idea to take it. You’ve left one enormous part of your life behind and you will need to figure out what you want to do next. Giving yourself some space can help you clear your mind and really identify what you want to do.

Your natural impulse when you first lose your job might be to jump in and start looking for another one. However, it’s best to let things settle and develop a clear vision of what you want to do next. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to rush out and tell everyone you know that you need a job. Letting your contacts know that you’re looking is something that is best done once you are crystal clear about your goals and how others can help.

Some things to consider: have you been thinking about a career change recently? What do you need to do to position yourself for that? What did you love about your job? What did you dislike? Take some time to write these things down and narrow in on what you truly love to do and what you do well. Getting clear on this will allow you to reposition yourself as you present yourself to potential new employers. In many instances the job you will go to next will be even better than the last job, provided you are clear on what you do and don’t want to do and what you need in terms of a compensation package.

Connect with Your Support System

It’s important to have a robust support system in your corner. That may be your spouse, other family members, sympathetic friends, or any other community organization that you may be a part of. Find someone you can share your concerns with and that can help keep your spirits lifted.
If you don’t feel that you have a good support system around you, this could be a great time to enlist the help of a therapist.

Shift Your Focus

Losing your job provides a perfect opportunity to tackle all of those projects you’ve been putting off. Have a home DIY project? Now’s the time. It’s also a great opportunity to read those books you’ve been wanting to read, spend time with your family, get more exercise and maybe even learn a new skill you’ve been wanting to learn.

If you’ve got insurance coverage paid for by your employer and you still have preventative visits to schedule, this is also an opportune time to check those off of your to-do list.

Balance Your Time

Once you embark on the new job search, it’s important to make sure you’re balancing job search time with other activities in your life. Searching for a new job can be a full-time job. Set up a daily routine and incorporate activities that you enjoy into your day. Perhaps you can dedicate your mornings to job searches and writing cover letters, then spend your afternoon working on home projects. Once you’re clear on what you want to do, incorporate some networking time into your week so you can continue to meet more people and make new connections that could lead to your next job.

In the meantime, focus on the positive wherever you can. Grab a journal and make a gratitude list on the days you’re struggling. Some professionals that are in between jobs find doing a daily gratitude list is a helpful practice to keep them in a positive mindset. Do the things you enjoy and cherish this time. Before you know it, you’ll be back to working again.

If you need extra help narrowing down the next steps to take in your job search, contact our Job Coach, Bonnie Brill and find out about our Job Search Consulting services.

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In the spirit of helping myself during these trying times, I have turned to The Five-Minute Journal to stay positive and productive.

The Five-Minute Journal asks you three morning questions designed to instill gratitude, set purpose for your day, and create empowering beliefs. When you start your morning off on the right foot, days actually seem to go by smoother.

You can find The Five-Minute Journal on Amazon.

Why am I loving this journal right now?

It really only takes 5 minutes.

Running my business, making sure my son is not playing video games during school time, and finding toilet paper is very time consuming.  Anyone, including me, can find 5 minutes to fill it out.  And, it is really worthwhile to spend a few minutes on my mental health.

It starts my day in a positive mind frame. 

Even if I wake up on the “wrong side of the bed,” writing 3 things I am grateful for helps me realize how lucky I am.

It helps me focus on productive to-dos that are in my control.  

The journal asks, “what would make today great?” I write down 3 things to accomplish for the day, such as writing this article. Check!

During the day, I notice good moments to write in my journal.

The elusive peanut butter was finally delivered!  The joy of “seeing” my clients and consultants with Zoom.  My son independently doing his schoolwork.  Previously these did not even register on my radar but are now noted, appreciated, and enjoyed.

It gives me a chance to do even better tomorrow.  

“How could I have made today better?”, the journal asks. I reflect on my day and decide what I would have done differently.

Since, I’ve been writing in my Five-Minute Journal, I’ve felt happier, come to better accept our present situation, and gotten more done.

I’m also limiting the news I watch.  I know what’s going on, and most of it is bad.  Why rub it in?

What are you doing that’s helping you?

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How Can Employers Benefit From This?

Putting employees through new training programs can be an expensive endeavor, however, proponents of the practice feel that it provides a worthwhile return on the investment. Employees are likely to feel a stronger sense of loyalty to the company and a renewed sense of enthusiasm and purpose. This can translate to financial savings by reducing the cost of recruiting new talent and the time it takes to get them up to speed, where a long-time employee already has that background knowledge.

Offering upskilling opportunities also makes the company more attractive to job seekers. NYU Professor, Ari Ginsberg shares, “Generation Z is already fairly tech-savvy and is more likely to be attracted and stay in a place where they can get technology learning.”

Why Is It a Risk?

Amazon recently made news with its announcement in July that it start a $700 million retraining program for its employees to help them further their careers at Amazon in other fields.

In an article published by UPenn., Wharton professor of management, Matthew Bidwell has this to say: “There is the concern that if you give people training in transferable skills, either they leave, or the threat that they’re going to leave means that they can demand much higher wages — and that eats away any of the returns [from the] training,” he said.

Investors and shareholders are more comfortable laying off workers who no longer have skill sets needed by the company and hiring newer, more tech savvy staff. Most don’t see the monetary value in investing in a complete training program for employees who may have capped out their salaries and could be replaced by better skilled talent at a lower overall cost.

To invest in current employees seems to be an open invitation for those employees to take their years of experience and newfound skills to another company, wasting the money spent on training them. Accepting upskilling as a standard practice will take time for shareholders and investors to embrace.

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal shares, “Cumulatively, firms spend billions of dollars every year on technology devoted to digital transformation, but executives admit to confusion and uncertainty about the impact. A recent Accenture survey of 1,200 executives found that, while nearly half say skill shortages are a major concern for the future of their firm, only 3% said they will significantly increase their training budgets over the next three years. In a separate survey conducted in 2017 by consultancy McKinsey & Co., 35% of U.S. executives said they believe they will realize their digital goals mainly or only by hiring new talent.”

How to Make Upskilling Work

Can upskilling benefit your company? It’s easy to say that upskilling is a win-win for all involved, however the truth is that upskilling is not a one-size fits all answer. Each company has to evaluate the pros and cons to determine if it would work for them. However, helping employees develop a logical career path with the appropriate training can certainly help with retention, employee engagement, and job satisfaction, if done correctly. Watching what other companies, like Amazon, are doing with their upskilling initiatives can help you determine if this is a path that will benefit your company in the future.

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Lauren Young, writer for Reuters.com shares, “A recent survey of more than 2,000 managers and employees in 10 different countries found that employees increasingly depend on technology to communicate with their colleagues, including email (45 percent), text messaging (15 percent) and instant messaging (12 percent).

Of those who cited email, more than 40 percent said they felt lonely always or often, were not engaged and had a high need for social connection.”

It’s also important to understand that it’s not only social isolation that remote workers can feel but other forms of isolation that are more impactful on someone’s career.

Laurel Farrer with Forbes.com goes on to say, “When telecommuting independently from home or mobile offices, workers aren’t just cut off from interactions that contribute to Maslow’s foundational need of love and belonging, they’re also distanced from the opportunities that being around other people provides. In other words, it’s not the break room parties and high-fives that the remote workforce misses—it’s the causes for these celebrations.”

Farrer goes on to describe other types of loneliness or isolation that remote workers have to cope with. Feeling cut off from being able to use the same resources that those working in the office use and feeling like you are missing out on opportunities for promotion and rewards, due to being out of sight are two of the most impactful.

“Without the visibility of a co-located environment, it’s hard to achieve the top-of-mind status that is so beneficial when a promotion or roundtable review is due.

Being engaged in a workforce allows employees to continually compare output, compensation, and goals with others to ensure future growth. Team members are able to silently observe the strategies and successes of others—which in turn inspires individual growth and development. When working independently and focusing only on personal productivity, remote workers run the risk of career stagnation.”

Sophia Bernazanni, with OwlLabs.com, says, “The number of remote workers has increased dramatically, but this physical separation of coworkers has led to more people feeling like they don’t have friends at work, and that they’re less loyal or connected to their company because of it.

For remote workers, loneliness leads to poor outcomes for physical and mental health and productivity. For employers and team leaders, strengthening bonds and connectedness between remote team members and co-located team members can help reduce turnover and improve team collaboration by building relationships.”

For employers looking to keep a remote work staff, be sure to find ways to keep them engaged. Regularly hold video conference based meetings, schedule onsite events quarterly, and do what you can to include the remote workers in any decision making processes. These steps will go a long way towards combating any isolation they may feel and will increase their productivity and loyalty to the company.

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Unlimited vacation time is surely gaining the attention of many; critics and supporters alike. “The 2017 State of the American Workplace Report from Gallup showed that 53 percent of employees say it’s “very important” to have a job that allows them greater work-life balance and personal well-being. Unlimited vacation time could help achieve both of these, by offering what is still a somewhat unique opportunity in the business landscape,” shares John Boitnott, writer for Inc.com.

We decided to do a deeper dive into this newest trend and see if it’s really as great as it sounds. Here’s what we found.

Unlimited doesn’t always mean unlimited

Sure your employers may not track your days off, but you can’t just take off on a whim. Most of these policies (and even the ones that don’t have this in their policies) are not going to permit you to take days off if it’s impacting the work that you need to get done. You still have to meet deadlines, and you still have to make sure that your days off don’t mean more work for your coworkers.

Stacy Lastoe with TheMuse.com says, “While your boss may not be keeping tabs on how many days you took off last month or year, that doesn’t mean you’re at liberty to take off as much time as you want. After all, you have a job to do. You’re getting paid to do said job—not go on vacation.”

Some people feel that even though the policy may be for unlimited time that they will still somehow be penalized for taking time off. If you work in a high-stress environment or one with many deadlines, you may never feel that it’s an okay time to take off, even if the policy permits it. Co-workers may frown on using too many of the days off you’re allotted, and it could essentially end up costing you opportunities to be promoted, in this type of environment.

Look for flexibility

There are companies that have mastered this unlimited vacation policy and are doing it well. Most of these companies understand the importance of flexibility for their employees. And the type of employees that they look for are those that don’t necessarily want to spend three months a year lounging on a beach but instead want to be able to work when it’s best for them. In some cases, these employees have family obligations that may require time off occasionally. In other cases, you may have someone in a project driven job that works best later in the day than they do in the mornings and doesn’t want those unlimited vacation days as much as they want to be able to come in when they’re most productive.

Is it achieving the benefit that everyone hoped?

There are also some companies that have reversed their decision to offer unlimited vacation time. However, the reason may surprise you. Instead of employees abusing the benefit, more and more companies are finding that employees are actually taking less vacation time than they did when they had limited vacation days.

Todd Wasserman with ADP.com shares, “One of the bizarre things about unlimited vacation policy is that it seems to have the opposite effect of what’s intended. For instance, when British photography equipment company Triggertrap began offering unlimited paid time-off (UPTO) in 2015, the average employee took less vacation than before the change, according to Slate.”

Unlimited vacation time can be a great benefit when managed properly and when there are clear guidelines on how it should be used, but it’s not always as clear cut as it seems. Be sure to clarify with your recruiter or human resources manager what those guidelines are and even find out how many people utilize the unlimited days and if they’ve seen an increase or decrease in time off since offering the benefit. You can also check their employee turnover, which is sign if policies and procedures are working.

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But when you’re in the middle of looking for a new job or considering changing jobs, wondering whether you can still take that much-anticipated vacation can be a source of stress.

Here are some tips on how to handle the vacation dilemma.

Tell your recruiter right away

As soon as you begin working with a recruiter, you should let them know about your vacation plans. Your recruiter is familiar with the culture of the company that you’re considering working for and will likely know right away if it’s going to be a problem or not.

Let the employer know during the negotiation phase

There’s no need to discuss vacation plans in your initial interview.  However, it should be brought up if you get an offer during the negotiation process. Suzanne Lucas, a writer with TheBalance.com Career channel, shares, “When you have received a job offer, but before you’ve accepted it, you can ask if you can take those days off. In most cases, your new boss won’t have a problem with such a request – although some may inform you that the leave is unpaid time.”

Lucas continues by saying, “Keep in mind that a lot of jobs have high learning curves and taking time off at the beginning can set you behind. You don’t want your boss judging your long-term performance in a negative light because you took time off in the first couple of months at work.”

The key is to approach your new boss with the attitude that you know it’s a lot to ask, and you completely understand that it may not be possible. Framing the conversation in this manner will garner more respect from the manager and will be more likely to result in a positive outcome.

The Three Month Rule

Lynze Wardle Lenio, a writer for The Muse.com, has a different viewpoint on vacations for new employees.  She shares, “After I graduated from college, someone gave me a piece of advice I always abide by – Don’t ask for any time off during the first three months of your job. Think of it as a probationary period in which you’re trying to prove your worth.”

Many employers do consider the first three months (or 90-days) to be a probationary period where you are being evaluated to determine if you are a fit for the company. This is more likely to apply if you’re an entry-level employee and not at management level. However, it’s a good rule of thumb to gauge your request on.  If your job starts on June 1, your 90 days will end at the end of August. Consider taking a vacation in September instead of during the peak summer months. You’ll have fewer crowds to fight and can relax knowing that your job is secure.

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The Impact on Hiring Managers

As a hiring manager or recruiter, you’re no doubt used to sharing the benefits that your company provides to its workforce with potential employees. While salary and traditional benefits such as insurance coverage and paid time off are still the most important benefits that most employees are looking for, it’s worth your time and energy also to learn what energizes and engages the workers in your company. Who is “the customer” and how are they benefited by the work of your employees? What makes your current employees feel that they’ve done a good job?

Why meaningful work matters

An article on ExistentialPsychology.org shares this perspective:

“When one considers the amount of time that most people spend “at work” during their lifetime, it is no wonder that the search for meaning in a work context is so vitally important.”

“Dr. Viktor Frankl’s Existential Analysis and Logotherapy is the commitment to meaningful values and goals. In brief, Dr. Frankl identified three categories of values that, when actualized, provide sources of authentic meaning: creative values, that is, “by doing or creating something; experiential values, that is, “by experiencing something or encountering someone”; and attitudinal values, that is, “by choosing one’s attitude toward suffering.””

The ability to clearly see where they have helped someone in the course of their workday is a strong motivator and one that seems to boost employee’s positive feelings about their work. That’s an easy thing to identify when you work in a service industry, whereas helping people in a trauma setting or an emergency is part of the work environment, but what about jobs where the benefit to others may not be so obvious?

John Coleman, a writer for Harvard Business Review, has been studying how employees find meaning in their work and shares, “For most people purpose is built not found. Working with a sense of purpose day-in and day-out is an act of will that takes thoughtfulness and practice.”

Would employees sacrifice money for meaning?

Better Up Labs is a leadership development company that recently did an in-depth study on meaningful work. Referenced by both CNBC and SHRM, Better Up Labs shared that 9 out of 10 career professionals told researchers they would give up an average of $21,000 a year—for “work that is always meaningful.” Further research revealed that employees stayed with a company seven months longer when they were in a job that they felt was meaningful. They also used fewer sick days and personal time off compared to employees that did not have a job considered highly meaningful.

Helping your employees find the value in their job will benefit both of you in the long run. Your employee will be happier, more productive, and more likely to stay with your company.

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