Page 20 - KZN Business Sense Vol.2 No.5

Supporting departing employees - The heart of talent management

Musa Makhunga, appear as being unnecessary costs go on their own or join the best in to the extent that if an organisation severance requirements into
Managing Director, and over the top. class companies. does not have a clearly defined their overall talent management
HR Matters (Pty) Ltd approach to this task, including an strategy, which becomes beneficial
Handling departing employees Outplacement is a dignified outplacement specialist that they to both the business and departing
O with care positively impacts the way of demonstrating to affected work with, they still have a long way employees, even in more ways than
organisation’s brand position, not employees that they were cared to go in terms of understanding those outlined above.
rganisations only in the mind of the departing for all along. Organisations often talent management in its totality.
now more employee but in the hearts of their spend a lot of money, time and effort Supporting departing
than ever immediate network of family and to search, recruit, on board and The average in class companies employees is at the heart of talent
before operate friends, and more importantly in develop employees, all in line with only get involved with the management, without which a
in ‘open the souls of those left behind. Is their brand. Off boarding tactics, outplacement / off boarding process large number of businesses would
the treatment of the departing some of which have been mentioned only in terms of administering not survive. And the best in class
system’ employee inspiring and motivating above are equally important as they severance pay in the event employers do not only recognise
type of others to want to be around for provide the organisation with a employment is terminated for this but include outplacement or
environment longer or does it send a chill down readily available ambassadorship operational reasons. This is only off boarding as part of their people
where voices of individuals have an their spine that tomorrow it’ll be of affected employees, their done in compliance with labour strategy, right there within talent
impact on their success. Therefore, them at the receiving end? Do immediate network of family, laws and not as a philosophy of the management. n
the best in class organisations do you see those left behind waiting friends, associates, and remaining organisation, which reflects their
their utmost to ensure they treat around for that to happen to them? colleagues. caring for future, present and past Mobile: +2783 2516704
their past, present and future Not in an environment where employees. On the other hand, the Fax to Email:+2786 6321426
employees well, so that they in talented and the brightest are The outplacement process best in class companies incorporate musa@hrmatters.co.za
turn become employers of choice, constantly being enticed to either through off boarding forms an the minimum employment www.hrmatters.co.za
without this being a mere cliché. integral part of talent management

It appears that the majority of
organisations would swear to adopt
the latest thinking in how they
source talented employees. However,
little attention is paid to how they
keep these employees content
and some completely overlook
supporting departing employees,
which is referred to as outplacement
as part of the off boarding process.
The reason is that organisations do
not see any connection between
talent management and supporting
departing employees.

The off boarding or outplacement
process entails an organisation
having a structured approach to
transitioning employees away
from the organisation due to
restructuring, mass retrenchments,
retirements, and or voluntary
departures necessitated by the need
to keep the organisation afloat.
The best in class organisations
work with professional placements
organisations or they develop an
internal capacity and capability
to handle the entire outplacement
process, with positive results.

Imagine someone who is
retrenched after a lengthy service
and/ or who was not ready to
leave their current employment
having to suddenly readjust to long
forgotten job search skills. Not
only will they not know where to
start, their families, colleagues
and immediate circle of networks
would be frustrated by the
organisation’s decision to let go
of this person in an uncaring and
impersonal manner.

A specialist outplacement firm
would assist employees, regain a
foothold in the labour market. The
firm would provide such services
as: how to reenter the job market
by equipping them with job search
skills, proactively marketing the
employee to prospective employers,
provide them with office space
including access to necessary
office tools whilst scouring the
job market, and or by retraining /
reskilling retrenched employees in
latest skills and competencies, with
all costs picked up by the employer.
To the uninitiated, these may

20