Job cuts are still happening – thousands of people lose their jobs in SA every year, hundreds of them may have been retrenched from the big banks. The Australian Financial Review recently reported (9.10.23) “Major Banks speed past 2000 job cuts in 2023.”
I’ve noticed that while redundancies are still happening – not so many are being reported in the press. Most happen quietly, without drawing media attention.
Can we help these individuals and families affected by redundancy? Can we help the organisations facing these difficult decisions?
What can I do?
You can help. There are things you can do.
1. Help local businesses to grow so they can employ more people – and spend more money locally.
Get behind the shop local campaigns (especially at Christmas) and support brands based in SA.
2. Challenge the stigma and discrimination
There is a myth put around, by mean people who don’t know any better, that if you’re unemployed – there’s something wrong with you because everyone who wants a job can get one right now. Not true. In fact, recruiters are telling people to stay in their jobs until they find the next one – even if they’re not particularly happy there. Why? because they say right now it’s harder than ever to get a job if you don’t have one.
Why would this be the case? Why is it so hard to find a job right now if you don’t have one? I put it down to the recruitment policies and practices in use. Look at some job adverts and you can clearly see they want someone who has done this job before in the same industry – they want to poach. They are not always open to people who are out of work. (Do they believe those myths?)
So, if you want to help, open your mind to applications from people not in a job right now. Open your mind to people from another industry. The applicant may have been retrenched, have had a stint at self-employment or retirement, or otherwise been out of the workforce for a long time. The good news is they are still expressing a keen interest to work for you so you can help by considering their application thoughtfully. Spare a thought for all those bank workers being retrenched – they can’t find work in another bank. People can transfer their skills from one industry to another – don’t overlook talent because it didn’t come in the form you expected.
Do you know how much guilt and shame there is now amongst people who can’t find a job? I can see a real need for family counselling emerging as retrenched workers express to me the guilt and shame they feel about asking their spouses to seek work to help support the family expenses.
Some spouses have been out of the workforce for some years and now seek to return as the cost of living rises. Look beyond their recent experience to the skills and talents they would bring. They may lack confidence in the interview but every employee needs training in your systems and processes – look at what they can bring and consider if their training needs are in fact the same as anyone else’s.
What can we encourage the State Government to do?
So much help can be given at different levels. The most obvious help needed is more business opportunities in the State. Local and State Government seek to create sustainable jobs and attract new organisations, new industries (space and Hydrogen, for example) and more Head Offices here.
There is also more free and subsidised training for people to develop skills aligned with new and developing career opportunities.
What we need now is increased and consistent support for all retrenched workers, including executives. Not everyone wants to work in the NDIS, or in the areas where there are lots of job opportunities. Executives and professionals, in particular, need individual support to find their next step.
3. Pay for outplacement support for your people – from a local experienced outplacement provider
The third thing you can do to help is to obtain outplacement support for your people. Are you a People and Culture Manager – then it’s probably your decision. If you’re a manager then you can speak up and ask for this support to be provided to retrenched employees. At a minimum, organisations retrenching employees should be obtaining good outplacement support for those directly impacted. This can also include on site on the day support for your staff giving the news and support for the employees who you wish to remain with the organisation
At a minimum I hope that all organisations (large and small) offer outplacement services to retrenched employees to support them psychologically and practically through the shock of redundancy, the long job search process, resume writing, personal branding and interview skills development.
Typically, Executives receive 2 – 12 months individual tailored outplacement support. This helps them to manage their mindset and cope with the shock of redundancy. It also supports them to review their career direction, make plans for what their next steps will be and find work they want (whether that be via entrepreneurship, a new job or a portfolio career).
One of the main benefits of outplacement support is it helps people see alternative ways to connect with job opportunities – ways they may not have seen before. It also provides consistent encouragement to persist despite what may be a long process of applications before they find the right role.
If you would like to find out more about outplacement services in Adelaide – please email bridget@developmentatwork.com.au for a personal quote.
If you are a defence spouse we can often provide you with free help with Partner Employment Assistance program (PEAP) Program funding – ask us about it.
If you are a P&C/HR Manager seeking career transition or outplacement support for people in your organisation please contact us on 0477 016966 or bridget@developmentatwork.com.au for a free no obligation meeting and quote – we would love to talk to you about how we can assist your people.
Outplacement Adelaide is Adelaide’s leading career transition firm offering a positive psychology-based outplacement program – individually tailored to the needs of recipients. For information about our outplacement and career transition services click here: www.outplacementadelaide.com.au
We assist retrenched workers to manage their mindset, build their resume, find the hidden jobs, understand and manage their job search and manage their personal brand.
To find out more about our complete solution options which include:
- NLP and Strategic Intervention techniques
- Portfolio careers coaching – attracting employers and income producing opportunities, exploring entrepreneurship and work-related strengths
- Building your brand
- The use of techniques to build optimism, hope, and resilience
- Techniques and tools to overcome physical or psychological issues that could otherwise have held back a person’s job search progress
- Resume writing
- Finding jobs online
- Finding the hidden jobs – often of great use to Executives
- Interview skills
please contact Bridget Hogg on 0477 016966
Retrenched workers are often anxious with the uncertainty of unemployment and this can lead to tunnel vision – Outplacement Adelaide programs offer a mindset shift which helps each person embrace new ways of thinking about work, their strengths, and how to connect with employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Outplacement Adelaide is the outplacement division of Development at Work Australia, based in the Adelaide area of South Australia.