Waterford Career Partners (WCP), a leader in the career management, executive coaching and outplacement industry has reached the mid-point of their six year study on the best practices by their clients in handling the termination of non-causal employees.
Working with HR Solutions, a leading opinion survey provider, WCP posed fourteen questions to their outplacement candidates on how the entire notification of job loss was handled and communicated to them.
Important findings:
49% of respondents were informed of their termination by human resources versus their direct supervisor
33% of respondents knew in advance that they would be terminated
On a positive note for companies, 79% of respondents felt the company did a good job explaining the reasons for their termination
92% still believe in their former employer´s products and services
74% would consider working for the organization again
23% of respondents answered yes to "During your tenure at the organization, was there anything that you found unsettling"?
Will Clarke, President of Waterford Career Partners notes "Companies have formalized and institutionalized the termination process but they have not taken the difficult process to the next level." "The way employees are treated during the termination process is just as important as, or more so than, the recruitment and courting phase."
Here are some tips:
Avoid vague reasons for termination-- make the reasons clear up front.
Utilize HR or outside counsel right away. Have an outplacement consultant meet with terminated employees immediately after notification. The longer the delay the more time employees have to spend reflecting on the past instead of focusing on the future.
Don´t offer other jobs within the company if they really are not an option.
Use the termination meeting as a fact finding session. Provide the employee everything they need to know about benefits while making sure you are not letting valuable knowledge about your company walk out the door-- potentially to a competitor.
Using these tips also benefits the company by sustaining an untarnished reputation which is always good for Public Relations.
For more information on Waterford Career Partners termination survey please contact Maggie McVay at 312-422-1000. To learn more about how Waterford Career Partners´ helps its clients manage the difficult termination process call Will Clarke, President Waterford Career Partners.