Being nice?...Nope* Cake?...Nope* Policy Change?...Yep!
I empathize with Ms. Senior's sentiment, since firing someone is awkward and painful. One of the reasons it is often done poorly is that no one wants to do it. Who wants to give out bad news? Another reason it is not managed well, is that few companies track, measure, or get any benefit from their former employees being rehired. I too, love using words like "arpeggio" but Senior's advice "not doing it at all" is without value. It suggests a naivete (nice word) about the current business world, thereby weakening any case she might make.
As someone who has been in Outplacement for 30 years, and who cares about helping people find work, I reject the position that the solution it to just, care about people and act accordingly. Wall St. does not buy the shares of companies because they take care of their former employees, or because they have world class benefits,or that they have the most generous childcare policy. Companies are not incentivized to take better care of their employees, let alone their departing ones.
Everyone at Challenger knows my favorite saying: "No one was ever promoted for solving the Outplacement problem." Wouldn't it be amazing if they were? They are not, so if you're in the Midwest; already know me; or need help in another country; reach out to me. We can customized real, value based, help to your people.
If companies rewarded and recognized HR professionals based on the percentage of employees who found meaningful new work, the entire Outplacement industry would look quite different. The process of procurement for human capital services is not inclined to measure the results of Outplacement because results cost more money and the validation process requires collecting data on “former” employees.
If governments incentivized companies for hiring or making sure their former employees were rehired, Ms. Senior would need to find something else about which to write. Just like most of the bigger problems in the country, it is a policy issue. It will require time, commitment, and sustained attention.
Co-Founder of 2 Discern
4 年I'm glad it resonates with you. Government is infamous for losing track of the intention behind an action. We, as citizens give them a "pass" without exploring what we want in common. It is easy to thwart those with no goals. Acta, non Verba!
Technology Director at Lazorpoint
4 年I've never thought about it like this or the concept you outline, "If companies rewarded and recognized HR professionals based on the percentage of employees who found meaningful new work, the entire Outplacement industry would look quite different." Thanks for sharing Rick Cobb
CEO at Barbachano International | Executive Search, Recruitment & Leadership Advisory | Ranked Top 10 by Forbes
4 年Good article. I would add that companies are not incentivized to take care of their own employees, let alone their departing employees because they don't know what they don't know. If they saw underneath the hood and learned that taking care of your own, increases productivity and thus impacts the bottom line, then the story would be different and there would be a true revolution!