Click here to load reader
Upload
jerianasmith
View
33
Download
2
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
RiseSmart's new eBook outlines the five things companies can do to foster alumni who will bolster brands and help position organizations for long-term success.
Citation preview
Turning Former Employeesinto Brand Ambassadors
CREATING ALUMNI:
A PUBLICATION BY:
2www.RiseSmart.com
The relationship between employees and employers has changed dramatically in recent
\HDUV��,Q�WRGD\¶V�HFRQRPLF�FOLPDWH��+XPDQ�5HVRXUFHV�OHDGHUV�VLW�LQ�WKH�GLI¿FXOW�SRVLWLRQ�RI�balancing the need to attract and retain top talent with the reality that, at any time, there
could be a strategic shift in business focus and some employees – even top talent – may
be laid off.
While turning former employees into supportive alumni has always been a good business
practice, with the ability of employees to share their opinions publicly on social media has
made this practice critical. It’s vital to foster a positive relationship, even with employees
who leave the organization when their positions are eliminated.
Because of this new reality, businesses are beginning to think differently about how they
treat and transition their employees. Those employees who leave an organization today,
whether by choice or due to a layoff, may very likely become customers, partners or even
boomerang employees. Businesses must consider their former and transitioning employees
as alumni and continue to foster that relationship.
This mindset must begin early in the employee life cycle and continue even after the
employee has left the organization. Creating a culture based on loyalty, trust and mutual
respect will ensure that when employees leave the organization they will be less likely
to leave angry and resentful. In a best-case scenario, they may even be appreciative of
the relationship. They will be more than former employees; they will be alumni – and
brand ambassadors.
3www.RiseSmart.com
Building and Protecting the Employer Brand
One of the biggest concerns among corporate executives today is that their companies
have strong employer brands. To help ensure that the best people want to work for them,
PDQ\�FRPSDQLHV�DUH�GHYRWLQJ�VLJQL¿FDQW�WLPH��PRQH\�DQG�DWWHQWLRQ�WR�WKRVH�HIIRUWV�
%XW�HYHQ�WKH�EHVW�UXQ�FRPSDQLHV�ZLWK�WKH�EHVW�HPSOR\HU�EUDQGV�¿QG�WKHPVHOYHV�restructuring and eliminating positions – events that put their brands at risk. In this era of
VRFLDO�PHGLD��HPSOR\HHV��HVSHFLDOO\�GHSDUWLQJ�HPSOR\HHV��FDQ�KDYH�D�VLJQL¿FDQW�LPSDFW�RQ�an employer brand.
These days, when there is a layoff, the world knows quickly – even in real-time – that it’s
happening and how it’s going. If the organization doesn’t treat its employees well during
that layoff, the impacted employees – and perhaps some “staying” employees – are going
to post their experiences on Glassdoor, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, creating the kinds
of reviews that every HR leader dreads.
How can organizations prevent this from happening? How can they create brand
ambassadors out of their transitioning employees? How can they create a situation in
which the reviews on social media sites show understanding, even appreciation?
“I was disappointed to be one of the individuals impacted by the reorganization, but I understand the business decision and I’m appreciative of the support
the company is providing me as I move forward.”
4www.RiseSmart.com
Five Ways to Create Brand Ambassadors
At some point after a downsizing event, an organization will want to hire again, possibly
soon. During a restructuring, it may mean eliminating positions while at the same time
KLULQJ�LQ�DQRWKHU�VNLOO�VHW�LQ�DQRWKHU�DUHD��7KLV�FUHDWHV�WKH�GLI¿FXOW�VLWXDWLRQ�RI�KDYLQJ�WR�continue to attract talent even as it is making those changes.
The last thing the organization needs in this scenario is for the departing employees to
publicly announce that they are displeased with the way their transitions were handled.
How do managers build a high level of loyalty and trust in their workforces? We have
LGHQWL¿HG�¿YH�WKLQJV�WKH\�FDQ�GR�WR�KHOS�FUHDWH�WKH�NLQG�RI�HQYLURQPHQW�WKDW�IRVWHUV�DOXPQL�who will bolster brands and help position organizations for long-term success.
5www.RiseSmart.com
Creating Alumni: Build a Culture of Empowerment and Transparency
When companies are clear about their goals – and transparency about those goals comes
IURP�WKH�WRS�±�HPSOR\HHV�IHHO�HPSRZHUHG��7KH\�DUH�PRUH�FRQ¿GHQW�LQ�ZKDW�WKH\¶UH�GRLQJ��feel more valued by the organization, and feel trusted.
CEOs should be encouraged to hold regular all-hands meetings and to be truly transparent
with employees regarding the state of the organization and his or her goals for the
future. With this as a guide, the door is opened for managers to do the same. They can
sit down with their own teams, be open and honest about their own goals, and have frank
conversations about what they need from each team member in order for those goals to
be achieved.
Sales organizations are especially strong in this regard. The goals for heads of sales
XVXDOO\�DUH�YHU\�WDQJLEOH�DQG�TXDQWL¿DEOH��6DOHV�RUJDQL]DWLRQV�FDQ�EUHDN�GRZQ�WKHLU�JRDOV�and divide the responsibility for achieving them among the members of the team: “Here’s
what you can do to help me.”
Every department can take a lesson from the way sales communicates and sets goals.
Managers can be asked to quantify: “This is what I want to accomplish this year, and this
is how each of you can help me achieve that goal.” Employees are empowered to take
ownership of their contributions. That opens doors for communication, gives all levels
of employees a sense of responsibility for the success of the organization, and bolsters
feelings of belonging.
6www.RiseSmart.com
Transparency, honesty, and responsibility all help employees feel trusted. And when
employees feel trusted, they will be more likely to trust the decisions made in the name of
the organization’s overall best interests.
• Employees who trust are open and honest about what they need to accomplish the
goals that management has set out to achieve.
• Employees who trust – especially when they are not micromanaged – feel
empowered to help reach shared goals.
• Employees who trust are loyal to their managers and the organization while they
work there and even afterward.
:KHQ�WKHUH�LV�WUDQVSDUHQF\�DQG�WUXVW��GLI¿FXOW�GHFLVLRQV�DUH�HDVLHU�WR�DQQRXQFH��:KHQ�GLI¿FXOW�PHVVDJHV�DUH�FRPPXQLFDWHG��VXFK�DV�HOLPLQDWLRQ�RI�SRVLWLRQV�RU�HYHQ�D�ODUJH�downsizing event, employees are more likely to understand the motivating factors that
led to the decision. Even if they don’t like the situation, it is less likely that they will foster
resentment and anger toward the organization – even when one of the eliminated positions
is their own.
After a downsizing event takes place, steps should be taken to ensure that employees
who have not been impacted are brought up to speed and given the opportunity to ask
questions and share concerns. CEOs should be encouraged to hold an all-hands meeting
as soon as possible after the event to make sure that the message is consistent across the
organization. This will continue to foster that trust has been built.
7www.RiseSmart.com
Creating Alumni: Facilitate Mobility
Alerting employees to opportunities within the organization improves retention and builds
employee loyalty. This practice helps employees feel like the organization truly cares about
them and their career development.
Fostering internal mobility allows teams to communicate and collaborate more effectively.
By increasing the knowledge base of one employee, management also increases the
knowledge base of the team to which that employee belongs--which increases the
knowledge base of the organization as a whole.
One way to begin facilitating mobility in a simple, nonthreatening way is to encourage
QHWZRUNLQJ�DPRQJ�HPSOR\HHV��2IWHQ��SHRSOH�¿QG�WKHPVHOYHV�LQ�VLORV�DQG�GRQ¶W�communicate with co-workers outside their teams. Employees should be encouraged to
engage with others across team lines and should know when there are opportunities that
might give them a chance to learn something new. It’s possible to create simple ways for
employees to access open positions within the organization.
Managers may want to conduct a review of policies around employees pursuing new
SRVLWLRQV�ZLWKLQ�WKH�RUJDQL]DWLRQ��0DQ\�FRPSDQLHV�PDNH�LW�VR�GLI¿FXOW�WR�ORRN�IRU�QHZ�opportunities internally that employees feel it is simply easier to leave the company. An
inability to facilitate internal mobility can cost employers dearly – from six to 24 months of
the employee’s salary, according to various estimates.
8www.RiseSmart.com
Internal mobility is an important aspect of career management; and having a formal career
management solution in place sends a clear message to employees: “We know that career
development is important to you and therefore it is important to us.”
Career management programs give the leadership insights into which employees are
interested in making moves--which gives management the ability to entice talent to stay
with the company while shedding light on the skills and knowledge that already exist within
the organization.
In a restructuring scenario, having a complete understanding of the knowledge base and
skill sets of all employees can help management redeploy individuals into open positions
where their skills are a match. Having a strong internal mobility program in place leads
to strong redeployment decisions and can result in fewer layoffs than would have been
necessary otherwise. This reduces expenses related to severance, recruiting and training,
while preserving morale.
9www.RiseSmart.com
Creating Alumni: Prioritize Redeployment Before and During a Restructuring Event
When a large organization restructures, it can eliminate positions in one division at the
same time it hires in another. But because various parts of such an organization can
operate in silos, a division that is hiring may not be aware that, on the other side of the
company, there are talented people now available for key positions.
Taking those people whose positions are being eliminated from one part of the
company and placing them in the open positions in another area reduces both severance
and recruiting costs.
Making those money-saving – and potentially career-saving – transitions happen requires
that an organization review the talent pool company-wide to make certain that people
are in the right jobs. As the need for a restructuring nears, that data can be used to help
redeploy top performers into positions where the organization has greater needs.
10www.RiseSmart.com
Of course, it is best if decisions about restructuring are made before layoffs; however, as
they are happening, it is important to educate employees about open positions in other
areas of the company and to encourage employees to pursue them.
Some organizations require employees to have a certain score on their most recent
performance review to be considered for redeployment. At other companies, everyone who
has been laid off is given a list of open jobs or encouraged to pursue open jobs within the
organization.
A key consideration in redeployment is when to involve the employee in the process as
LW�LV�YLWDO�WR�PDLQWDLQ�FRQ¿GHQWLDOLW\�LQ�SUHSDUDWLRQV�IRU�D�UHGXFWLRQ�LQ�IRUFH��%XW�ZKLOH�the conversations often have to wait, the information-gathering should begin as soon as
possible and continue on an ongoing basis.
11www.RiseSmart.com
Creating Alumni: Communicate Authentically During the Event7KH�GD\�VRPHRQH�¿QGV�RXW�KLV�RU�KHU�MRE�LV�EHLQJ�HOLPLQDWHG�W\SLFDOO\�LV�D�YHU\�HPRWLRQDO�RQH��,Q�RQH�RQ�RQH�QRWL¿FDWLRQ�FRQYHUVDWLRQV��LW�LV�LPSRUWDQW�IRU�PDQDJHUV�WR�NHHS�WKH�employee’s feelings in mind. They need to deliver the news quickly but with compassion,
and they need to be compassionate without commiserating.
Any manager who must inform an employee about the elimination of his or her position
should be trained in how to deliver the message tactfully while also presenting the
business case for the decision.
Transitioning employees should be given room to absorb this information, and then their
manager should verbally communicate all of the information that they require regarding
next steps. A packet of paper should be considered a supplement, not a replacement for
communication.
12www.RiseSmart.com
Some organizations have moved away from one-on-one conversations. In one large
downsizing event, employees were told their positions were being eliminated and also
given a packet with basic information. Included in it was notice of an all-day information
VHVVLRQ�WR�EH�KHOG�VHYHUDO�GD\V�ODWHU��$ERXW����SHUFHQW�RI�WKH�SHRSOH�ZKR�KDG�EHHQ�QRWL¿HG�VKRZHG�XS�IRU�WKLV�HYHQW��ZKLFK�RIIHUHG�VHVVLRQV�RQ�EHQH¿WV��&2%5$��VHYHUDQFH�DQG�401(k) rollovers.
Not every company can rent out a hotel conference room, but this was a great example
of clearly and continually communicating to people about how they were going to be
supported during their transition.
In this particular case, instead of venting anger at the company, employees said things
like, “While I’m obviously very disappointed that my job was eliminated, I understand why
it happened, and if it had to happen, they certainly are doing everything they can to take
care of us.”
It is that kind of attitude that makes for loyal alumni, brand advocates, and good word of
mouth. Every company should strive to foster this response in employees who are leaving
their organization.
13www.RiseSmart.com
Creating Alumni: Provide Assistance in the Transition
At many companies, management works hard to build loyalty in employees. That is loyalty
that needs to be preserved even during reductions in the workforce.
Employees whose positions are being eliminated should be treated with dignity and
respect. Whenever possible, they should be provided assistance with the transition,
LQFOXGLQJ�D�VHYHUDQFH�SDFNDJH�WKDW�ZLOO�KHOS�WKHP�EULGJH�WKH�JDS�¿QDQFLDOO\�DV�WKH\�ORRN�for new roles. They deserve an outplacement program that will be valuable and effective in
facilitating a smooth and quick transition.
$W�VRPH�SRLQW�GXULQJ�WKH�QRWL¿FDWLRQ�SURFHVV�HPSOR\HHV�VKRXOG�EH�WROG�LI�WKH\�DUH�HOLJLEOH�for rehire, and if there may be a need for certain kinds of skills in the future. They should
be encouraged to keep in touch as well as be provided with a way to access open positions.
Keeping that door open can go a long way towards preserving loyalty, protecting the
employer brand, and keeping the company’s talent pipeline full of quality job candidates.
14www.RiseSmart.com
Before planning a reduction in force, it is important to make certain that the organization’s
RXWSODFHPHQW�VROXWLRQ�¿WV�WKH�QHHGV�RI�WRGD\¶V�MRE�VHHNHU��QR�PDWWHU�WKHLU�OHYHO�LQ�WKH�organization.
The solution should be laser-focused on today’s job market and provide services that focus
RQ�KHOSLQJ�HPSOR\HHV�¿JXUH�RXW�WKHLU�QH[W�EHVW�VWHSV��DQG�WKHQ�KHOS�WKHP�WR�ODQG�QHZ�opportunities as quickly as possible. This goal can be accomplished through a proactive
coaching program, technology that connects employees to new opportunities, and services
that help employees brand themselves appropriately. This includes a new resume and help
with networking and social media.
7KLQJV�DUH�YHU\��YHU\�GLIIHUHQW�WKDQ�WKH\�ZHUH�HYHQ�¿YH�\HDUV�DJR��7KH�MRE�VHDUFK�KDV�changed, and it’s important to have a transition solution that can help employees through
that process.
Employees in transition care about one thing: a new job. An outplacement solution should
as well. Providers should be focused on results and proud of the results that they achieve.
15www.RiseSmart.com
About RiseSmartRiseSmart is a leader in enterprise career management solutions that drive
employee engagement, improve retention, and burnish employer brands. Through
its employee-centric career-management platform, RiseSmart Compass, and its
results-oriented outplacement solution, RiseSmart Transition, RiseSmart helps
high-performing organizations successfully cultivate passionate, engaged employees
and loyal alumni ambassadors.
7KH�¿YH�VWUDWHJLHV�RXWOLQHG�KHUH�ZLOO�KHOS�EXLOG�DQ�HQJDJHG�DQG�OR\DO�ZRUNIRUFH��$QG�VKRXOG�an organization need to engage in a reduction in force, that reduction can be undertaken
with the knowledge that the brand will emerge undiminished.
Building an organization of loyal, trusting employees takes time and commitment. But
that investment pays tangible dividends. Among them are former employees who consider
themselves alumni and act as brand ambassadors.