Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 7, 1991 TAG: 9102070124
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By KAREN BALL ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
In short, they say, you'd better not pout, you'd better not cry.
These consultants generally have a two-front campaign. First, they help managers prep for the sometimes ugly face-off with an outgoing employee. Then they turn around and try to inspire the fired worker to focus quickly on finding a new job.
"You would be sitting there, stunned, maybe crying. An outplacement consultant's job is to turn your obvious negative reaction and energy into a positive action - looking for a new job," said Debra Benton, who owns a management consulting firm in Fort Collins, Colo.
The consultants tend to work mostly with white-collar executives who are let go, but they're also called in for group seminars with workers laid off en masse.
The recession means more companies are forced to tighten their belts and turn people loose, but it also gives them an excuse to jettison someone who is out of favor with the front office.
"They use the excuse of belt-tightening, but many times, the ones let go are the ones where there is poor chemistry," Benton said.
Many companies provide outplacement counseling because they see it as a way to ward off lawsuits; a happy, employed ex-worker is less likely to spend a lot of time seeking legal recourse.
But it can also help restore sagging morale among remaining employees because it's viewed as a compassionate gesture.
"That sounds nicey-nicey, but if you're cutting people, the rest are going to have to pick up the slack," Benton said.
Benton was close by when Sherri Gerity got the news that she would lose her job as an executive assistant to the president of the cable company in Englewood, Colo.
"Before you go out and slash your wrists or anything, they were there to pick you up. Of course they didn't really have a plan of what you would do or anything, but you knew you wouldn't be walking out the door to nothing. It was reassuring," Gerity said.
Top among consultants' tips for fired workers: Try not to take it personally.
"You've got to set your emotions aside and get about the business of marketing yourself for the next job," Shea said.
Fired workers should tell themselves the termination probably was for economic reasons, said Irene Mendelson, president of BEMW Inc. of Bethesda, Md.
Resist the temptation to hurl insults at the boss, the consultants advised.
"Don't burn any bridges," said Martha Redstrom-Plourd of the Philadelphia-based Right Associates. "How one leaves the company is the way one is remembered by the company, and the person that fires you may become the key contact for your next position," she said.
For the face-off or "separation interview," as some consultants call it, Benton had these tips for employees:
Don't cry. "Tears won't change their mind. They will only embarrass everyone."
Ask for clarification of any financial separation package. Tell them you need time to think it over. "You have the option to ask for more money. They can only say yes or no."
Go home. Don't go to a bar. Give yourself the night to feel the pain. Then, early the next morning, get cracking on the new job hunt.
Managers should keep a few things in mind, too, Benton advised:
Keep the statement short. Plan no more than 10 minutes to deliver the news.
Release the news simultaneously to appropriate employees in a memo, before it hits the grapevine.
Don't look for understanding or absolution. "Let them blame you. It helps them feel they are OK, which leaves them employable."
People who are fired because of bad chemistry should take solace in knowing that the worst thing for a career is a bad fit, Benton counseled.
Getting fired can be a blessing because it can force a person to find a different job that eventually brings more satisfaction, she said.
"Few people will take the initiative to say, `You know, this is a dead-end job and I'm going to quit.' They can end up being much happier in the long run."
by CNB