As an employee being made redundant can come as a shock, especially if you had no idea it was likely to happen.

The initial communication isn’t always easy to take. However, remember it can and does get better.

As a recruitment company that has been around for over 30 years, we have helped hundreds of people navigate those dreaded words and in such a way that they can dust themselves off and move on with their lives, often to something even better.

As with any problem in life that needs handling, you need a plan. Having spoken to many people like you in this situation, here is what to do next.

Ask Why?

Though why isn’t always the best question to ask, in this case, it is.

Hard though it might be to hear, a recruitment company you work with or your next employer is going to ask why you were made redundant, so you need to have a clear answer.

Perhaps the market has changed, and they haven’t moved with the times or perhaps sales and marketing haven’t been up to scratch, and new business has not been gained the way it could, or maybe they have lost a contract or funding.

It’s important to have a clear understanding of what has happened in the company that has resulted in your redundancy.  Though this is an uncomfortable situation, it’s important to know their rationale and why you or your team are leaving.

It might be that they are trimming down or removing a department. Perhaps A.I. technology has meant that certain aspects of your role are no longer viable.

Once you have a handle on this, you can then formulate your next steps in how you will communicate what has happened.

It’s Not Your Fault

I know it’s easy for me to say and don’t take it personally, as my experience over the years working in recruitment is that it’s rarely your fault. The role has been made redundant, not you. The role you did no longer exist. You have done nothing wrong; it’s important to avoid thinking in terms of not being good enough. Unfortunately, life has a way of throwing us a curve ball sometimes; we have to accept it and move on.

Expect To Have Fluctuating Emotions

It’s likely your emotions will be all over the place during the first few weeks; it’s normal. In many ways this is a good thing; don’t bottle it up whatever you do.

I have personally spoken to candidates who have felt rejection, anxiety, anger and elation and all within the same day too.

Here is something to remember; it will get better. The good news is that over time they will pass and be replaced by a feeling of acceptance and moving forward. Again, it’s normal for these thoughts to bounce around and to feel that you aren’t making progress, but it will pass.

Know Your Rights and Get Support

Though most employers are trustworthy and want to do their best, it’s worth asking what happens next; especially when it comes to your financial package, holiday pay and leave date.

It’s worth asking your employer what their plans are to help you transition. Depending on your organisation they may be willing to provide outplacement support.

Outplacement support is provided to help former employees transition to new jobs and help them re-orient themselves in the job market.

It is normally provided by a third party and paid for by your employer. It generally involves practical advice, training and workshops.

To manage your expectations, not every employer provides this, though if they do, accept it.

Start Planning

It’s important to face reality and get a handle on your financial commitments too. You might have a financial package given to you that will soften the blow. No matter what, it is important to manage your personal cashflow budget.

If you were planning a huge holiday, it might be an idea to place this on hold. It’s not that your life needs to stop; however, it is a good idea to plan your spending in a way that doesn’t put you under pressure.

Set Your Goals and Contact A Recruitment Agency

The good thing about the job market today is that it is buoyant, AND importantly there are recruitment companies who can help you find your next role.

Contacting a recruitment company especially in today’s job market is key; not only to help you potentially secure a new role but to also have some career advice too.

For instance, at Clayton Recruitment we employ recruitment consultants; there is a clue in their role description.

Depending on the role you are looking for, we might even be able to represent you personally to our clients.  Our networks are huge.

About Clayton Recruitment

Clayton Recruitment has been partnering with organisations across the country since 1989 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability.

With specialist divisions covering Commercial, Financial, Industrial, and Engineering appointments, on both a permanent and temporary basis. If you are looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to download our latest interview checklist, you can do so here.

The UK’s furlough scheme has been an extraordinary event on many levels.

It fulfilled its expectation in protecting many jobs, but now several months on, we see the reality of the employment situation in some sectors.

It’s time for people to start making decisions about the future of their careers.

Despite the gloomy picture the UK media like to paint in regards to jobs, for middle and senior managers, there are many opportunities; and in fact, they are growing daily.

There have indeed been redundancies in some sectors and at all levels. So to help management candidates whose furlough has now unfortunately turned into redundancy, here are the key things to consider now in your job search.

Identifying Your Skills and Abilities

You must first identify what your skills are, what you can bring to the table outside of the skills you have been utilising in your previous roles.

Some people have a regimented idea of what kind of role they can do – based on their career so far.

The truth is that when you think outside the box, a whole new world of opportunities opens up for you.

As someone who has progressed to where you are today as a middle or senior manager, you will have accumulated a lot of skills and experiences, many of which you might not use daily.

It’s now time to look at the entirety of your skillset, and you will possess soft skills which can translate to different sectors.

Soft skills include:

• Leadership
• Emotional intelligence
• A growth mindset
• Openness to feedback
• Active listening
• Adaptability

As much as you need to emphasise how your skillset can be adapted to a new role, likewise, you should leave out unnecessary information from your CV or your interviews about skills that might not be as relevant for the new position you are applying for. Remember to ask your recruitment consultant for advice on tailoring your CV.

Your Hobbies and Interests

Another direction your career search can take is in looking at your life outside of your current career path to see potential opportunities.

You might be an expert in project planning during the community support you gave during the lockdown, or computer technology from your interests outside of your career.

These skills can be essential in landing you a new job in a sector or area you hadn’t considered before.

Changing Your Mindset Ready for Your Next Move

A big part of finding a new role is mentally being ready and accepting it is time to make a significant change to your life.

It’s not a decision which many people feel comfortable with; at first.

It might even lead to some individuals taking a lesser role in an area they are familiar with rather than taking the plunge for something better in a new sector.

Some industries have not thrived, whereas others have – it’s about considering where the opportunities are and then making the decision to go for it!

Data from Fast Company, the worlds biggest media brand, revealed that 42% of applicants apply for a role without possessing all of the required skills, and 62% of these get hired without fully meeting the criteria.

Inspiring.

So when applying for a new role, remember to think outside the box, and don’t be limited by your own beliefs which could be holding you back.

Finally, if it’s been years since you last applied for a job, or have never worked with a recruiter to find a new role, let me explain the benefits of working with a professional and experienced recruitment company to find your new commercial position.

Working with a Recruitment Company to Navigate the Job Market

If it’s been a while since you last applied for a job, you might not have updated your CV for some time, you could be lacking confidence, or you just don’t know where to start.

Many candidates don’t realise the benefits of working with a recruiter to find their next management role. So if you’re unsure, here’s what you get –

• Help to update and adapt your CV for the roles you want
• Access to unlisted jobs, thanks to the recruiter’s network and knowledge of new openings.
• Career advice and insider information on what’s happening in different sectors that you would not be able to uncover yourself.
• An active search – your recruiter will approach companies they think you will be right for on your behalf, rather than just applying for roles that already exist.
• Prepare you for interviews with insider knowledge about the company.
• Negotiate your salary to get you the remuneration you deserve.

And all as a complimentary service, the client you are applying to covers the recruitment fee, not you.

We understand that right now, looking for a new role can seem daunting.

Don’t go it alone – working with a specialist recruiter will give you the expert help and advice you need to take the next step in your commercial career.

If you would like to know more about how we can help you secure your next management position if your leave has turned into redundancy – get in touch with us here, for a confidential and supportive conversation.

About Clayton Recruitment

Clayton Recruitment has been partnering with organisations across the country since 1989, and during that time has built up an excellent reputation for trust and reliability.

With specialist divisions covering Commercial, Financial, Industrial, and Engineering appointments, on a permanent basis. If you are looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

Back in March, we covered the topic of what to do in the unfortunate event that you are made redundant – it’s never an easy situation for anyone to deal with and can usually come as an unpleasant shock.

But unfortunately, it is a reality for many organisations and employees.

While redundancy might be inevitable for your current role, spotting the signs of it can help to prepare you for when the time comes.

So, in this article, I will cover the signs to look out for which typically indicate that your company is soon to go through a ‘restructuring’ period resulting in redundancies.

1. Difficult Times

One of the earliest signs of looming redundancies is that your sector or particular company is facing an economic downturn.

For example, while there is always a need for in-house and specialist accountants, there will be economic up and downturns which impact the commercial and financial sector. Is your industry or company currently enjoying growth, or are you aware of problems which are causing your organisation to struggle?

Shorter periods of economic unsettlement are less likely to cause redundancy issues, but if there has been a prolonged period of downturn, then this can be a sign of approaching redundancies.

2. A Freeze on Recruitment

Have there been vacancies in your department that have remained unfilled for a while? And every time someone raises the issue with a manager, there is some excuse?

Companies who are experiencing financial issues typically put a freeze on recruitment while they attempt to save money and sort out the more significant problems related to how they can improve their situation.

It can be normal for some harder to fill roles to appear vacant for extended periods, but if there has been a sustained blanket ban on recruitment for a while, this can be one of the earliest signs that redundancies are on the cards.

3. Cost-Cutting

While regular cost-cutting is usually a symbol of good fiscal sense, large cost-cutting at the expense of the work your company does, or to the detriment of the organisation, can be a warning sign that there is trouble which could result in redundancies.

Have expenses that were once routine been pulled-up for inspection? This can be anything from the daily office newspapers being cancelled to the annual conference that every team member was once invited to being cut to a select few.

4. Secretive Managers

Has the atmosphere in the office changed recently? Signs that all is not well at the top can include your managers becoming guarded. Even something as seemingly insignificant as your managers avoiding eye contact or 1:1 conversations can be a clue.

One candidate who I worked with in the past told me that they had been unsuspectedly made redundant. They were then shocked to find out that their colleagues had realised what was happening weeks before when their manager had started disappearing down corridors and avoiding eye contact at all cost.

5. Seeing More of the Director or CEO

Organisations who are at risk of redundancies will typically go through a period where the CEO is more visible and observant of daily goings-on, and this will be especially notable in organisations where these executive visits are usually a rarity.

This can be as they seek to observe what is going on in your office and where they can make cuts in tasks or, eventually, people. If you have witnessed an increase in senior staff getting together in meeting rooms or private offices, this could be a sign that they are planning redundancies.

7. Lack of Work

Finally, a significant decrease in your workload that lasts over a longer time-frame is one of the surest signs that your company will be making redundancies soon.

Have clients or customers been dropping contracts and taking business elsewhere? Commercial organisations need recurring custom to stay afloat, and the cold hard truth is, if your company has been losing business for an extended period – there will be redundancies.

Finally

Most people fear redundancy but remember that it can, and does, get better.

It can be an opportunity to reassess your career, and to make avenues into a new role with a different company. When a company makes redundancies, it is often the last option for the employer and is a sign of severe problems within the organisation; try not to dwell on the negative and accept that this company was always going to have to make cuts due to their failing position in the market.

My first advice to anyone who is facing redundancy, even just rumours – is to speak to a recruiter in your sector.

They will provide you with the best impartial advice of current or upcoming job opportunities in your sector, and might even be able to offer you an upgrade on your current role before the ‘R’ word is mentioned in your current company.

About Clayton Recuitment

Clayton Recruitment has been partnering with organisations across the country since 1989, and during that time has built up an excellent reputation for trust and reliability.

With specialist divisions covering Commercial, Financial, Industrial, and Engineering appointments, on both a permanent and temporary basis. If you are looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.