Linda Lande

 By Linda Lande
 (c) October 22, 2009

The recession has brought some companies—even some industries—to their knees, and hundreds of thousands of people now find themselves unemployed.

If you’re fortunate enough to still be working but suspect that you, too, might be heading toward unemployment, now is the time to prepare. Typically, companies handle employee releases one of three ways:

  • With respect and caring. Employees receive at least two weeks’ notification that their jobs will be eliminated.
  • With immediacy. Employees are called to Human Resources and told they will be leaving—now.
  • With heavy baggage. Employees are not performing their jobs to the level the company expects, so they are asked to leave.

Part I: The Respectful and Caring Employer

If your employer is being acquired by another company, is merging with another company or, due to financial difficulties, will be laying off employees, consider yourself fortunate if you’ve received advance notice. But even with advance notification, many employees either keep doing what they’ve always done or let bitterness and confusion cloud their better judgement. Instead of making good, positive use of their time, they fritz it away with long lunches and short work days.

DownsizeSo, if you one day hear your manager say, “I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to let you go,” consider the following five positive actions that will benefit you—and your employer:

1. Quickly reach a point of understanding.

“Companies forced to lay off employees don’t just think this up one day,” says Renee Conklin, Vice President of Human Resources for SoftBrands, which was acquired in August by Infor. Employers would much rather be expanding and hiring, but difficult business decisions must be made sometimes. Conklin, who not only is overseeing layoffs but also will lose her job at the end of the year, advises people to quickly get themselves to a place of understanding—understanding that this probably is not what the company wants to be doing and that, like it or not, it’s what’s going to happen.

“For me and others I’ve worked with, reaching a point of understanding has been key,” she says. “I find it comforting to know the situation rather than live in the unknown. I appreciate being able to approach it strategically.”

2. Update your resume.

Do it now, while job duties and accomplishments are still fresh. “Focus on what you know rather than what you’ve done,” says Conklin. “List your knowledge, skills and abilities. Let the reader know what you can walk in the door and do. You’ve got their attention for 20 seconds, grab it—and keep it!”

Be sure to take with you a copy of your job description, performance reviews, work awards, and complimentary notes and e-mails. And if showing examples of your work will not divulge corporate secrets, consider copying or scanning a few documents to share with potential employers.

You also may want to ask your Human Resources Department for a list of your job titles, your start and end dates in each position, and your salary history. Many employers ask for this information.

3. Build your network.

If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, build one. Talk to people you’ve worked with to ask for recommendations—and ask them to keep their eyes and ears open for you. Consider creating personal business cards and distributing them to co-workers. State your personal information on the front and list your career goals on the back. That way, they’ll know how to get in touch with you.

In addition, Conklin advises asking people to serve as personal references. More than that, ask specific people to serve as personal references in specific areas. “This helps you know more about what they might say,” she says. Maybe ask your manager to speak to your work ethic and your timeliness. If you’ve worked on a cross-divisional team, ask a team member to speak about your participation and follow-through.

When called by potential employers, companies can speak to factual information. Your personal references can talk more about your work style and skills.

4. Get your files in order.

Remove from your computer all of your personal files and e-mails—and do the same for your desk files. Organize your e-mails into file folders and make sure that your desk folders are labeled and organized. Identify what projects will need an owner going forward and work with your manager to determine who should become the new project owner. Discard notes that aren’t applicable and write notes to help others move forward in your absence.

Each day, take a few personal items home so that you’re not left carrying boxes your last day.

5. Don’t burn bridges.

No one likes to hear his or her job is being eliminated and that they’ll have to seek employment elsewhere. It’s only natural to feel upset and angry; some people even experience trauma. But, as stated in No. 1, work hard and fast to get past that and to a point of understanding. Remember that first—and last—impressions are important. “One of the worst things a departing employee can do,” says Conklin, “is to wipe all the data off his or her computer. It’s destructive, there is no reason for it, and the company and others will think ill of that person.

“Don’t choose to be the negative person in the environment,” she says. Take the high road believing that an equally wonderful or better opportunity awaits. It’s better for your future and your self-image.

Stay tuned for Part II of this three-part story on Friday, Oct. 23: “Waiting for the Axe to Fall? If You Think Your Job is on the Line, Do These Five Things Immediately (Part II: The ‘You’re-Out-the-Door-Now’ Employer).”

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