BY VANESSA STATUM, DIRECTOR OF NETWORK RECRUITING FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS
I was in church service this past Sunday when someone requested prayer for the employees of an Oklahoman company that recently laid off several hundred people. His son was one of the so-called survivors but many of his son’s peers and friends were severed. He spoke of how it had been traumatic for those leaving but also the employees left behind felt like they were guilty for not getting the ax like their close friends and colleagues.
His words created an image in my mind… amputated limbs. Sometimes it is necessary to amputate a limb in order to save the body. Gruesome image I know but it can be when not done right. It is the ugly side of business. A company that has been hit with a decline in business may be forced to have a labor reduction to save the company.
It also created another image for me. An image of two ‘surgeons’ the first being an educated and skillful surgeon. A surgeon that understands that a difficult decision must be made to save the body. He has the knowledge and experience to complete the task with less pain and trauma. He knows the best methods to help the body heal and flourish again. The surgeon understands that the body will need rehabilitation to restore itself and be stronger.
Then there is the second ‘surgeon’. He is probably what most of us think of when we hear the word amputation. The Civil War doctor who offers a fallen soldier a leather strap to bite on while he uses the hacksaw to cut the limb off. He leaves the body heavily scarred and traumatized. Did he save many lives? Yes. But at the same time this doctor leaves a mental picture that none will ever forget.
When a CEO is forced to have a labor reduction to save the company. They will have to choose how they will amputate. Which limb? How deep to cut? Which surgeon do I hire? How do I save my company, but minimize the trauma?
Professional Outplacement is the skilled surgeon that will guide you through those difficult questions. It is possible to go through a labor reduction and the company and the severed employees land on two strong limbs.
Our statistics show that 75% of the employees offered Professional Outplacement land in a new position in 3 months or less and of those employees 96% of them will make greater or equal to their current salaries.
Do not put the future of your company in the hands of an agency that can only offer you a leather strap and a hacksaw. That is how you have people praying for your business because the image of hundreds of people losing their jobs without proper help and support is too much to bear. That is also how you are in Fortune’s Top 100 Best Businesses to Work for in 2014 but in 2015 you are walking along the working wounded.
Discover how to avoid the “Civil War” doctors and let us be your Skilled Surgeon. Call 918-293-0500 to learn more about our Outplacement Services. We believe ‘People are worth the investment’.
