Being Made Redundant Is Your Biggest Opportunity Yet

In the words of Dame Maggie Smith, “I don’t do advice I do opinion”. The great thing about an opinion is that people can either use the opinion or not, depending on whether it is helpful to them.

Here are my opinions that I hope to be helpful to those unfortunate people who are currently being made redundant. This is not a full-blown outplacement programme (which of course The Curve Group do run – gratuitous plug – apologies!) more just a sharing of my thoughts in the hope that they’re useful to those who are currently experiencing a lot of change and uncertainty.

Most CEOs in my network who I have spoken to are making between 10-30% of their team redundant. This is reflected in The Bank of England’s predictions for unemployment (forecasted to rise from 3.9% to 7.5% by the end of 2020).

I make this statement not to depress us all but because the fact of the matter is that we are living through one of the largest pandemics the world has ever experienced, and as a result, many redundancies have been made. So, when people ask you why you have left your job – the answer (or what I call the exit statement) is not because of your capabilities. Tell them it is because of COVID-19 and then swiftly move on to telling people about what it is you want to do next. I am afraid that when I speak to many people who have been made redundant, they spend a tremendous amount of time sharing the “ins” and “outs” and the “whys” and “wherefores” of the reasons they were made redundant. They talk about whether they were treated fairly, the process they went through when really, I already know. Repeat after me: “I was made redundant because of COVID-19 and what I am looking for next is ………….”

When leaving an organisation, manage your exit well.  Make sure that people know what you have achieved whilst you were there. Make sure everyone who you wish to have in your network has your contact details.  Make sure they know what you wish to do next and how they can help you to move forwards.

Though you may understandably feel upset and concerned about the future, do not burn your bridges as the same people who had to make you redundant are also likely to be your biggest advocates and will want to help you to secure your next role.

As I stated earlier, it really is not you. It is Covid-19.  Tell yourself this EVERY DAY! No organisation wants to get rid of its talent. CEOs are kept awake at night worrying about the redundancies they are making and how this is having a negative effect on people’s lives. CEOs do not want to lose you but you will be a great asset to the next organisation. Remember this and make sure you draw your skills (transferable or otherwise) out when approaching potential employers.

Some of the most organised workers I know find it difficult, once made redundant to then structure their day. Treat your search for a new role as you would a working day. Allocate the time you wish to apply for searching for a new role and once this is done, go and do something else preferably fun to do! Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Where possible, take the time to really think about what you want to do next and how you can make yourself stand out to a potential employer.

LinkedIn really is your friend and it is free! It has been really heart-warming to see the amount of support connections have given each other on the platform when looking for new opportunities. Think about who you can reach out to in your existing network and if there are any virtual networking events you could attend as they are still an excellent opportunity to engage with other businesses. Talk to everyone but remember when doing so, to nail your exit statement and convey all of the reasons why any business would want to bring you into their team!

Just my opinion, but I really do hope it helps.