Redundancies are a necessary and inevitable element of many businesses. When implementing redundancies companies should not only examine how they are perceived by those leaving but also by those who are staying. The effect that redundancies have on the morale of those staying could lead to a de-motivated and de-moralised workforce.

An effective outplacement program gives a strong message that management is aware of staff concerns and will commit to ensuring as smooth a transition as possible into their next or new position. It can also create the confidence that, should further redundancies be required, they will be supported   An outplacement program that shows a company cares about its workforce may negate a large amount of the negative factors associated with redundancies and protect its reputation as a desirable place to work.

This is not simply a strategy for dealing with the immediate problems. In the long term former employees of the company could potentially influence good or bad press about the manner in which they were treated.  The impact of a positive experience can give a company the edge over a competitor.

A solid outplacement plan will have other positive effects. Treating transitioning employees with respect , care, honesty and dignity not only supports the company’s reputation , but can help with staff retention and attract a higher level of industry talent and high performers as the reputation of the company is raised.

Financially, Outplacement is justifiable for a number of reasons. Aside from the employee issues discussed above, outplacement programs may avoid the risk of future litigation.  As staff move on they spend less time in the transition process and move as quickly as possible to the next stage of their career.

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The Profiles vs. Cover Letters topic has not been definitively answered, and as with most job search topics different circumstances and personalities may call for different approaches. As such every application must be approached individually.

There has, however, been a distinct and increasing trend towards the adoption of profiles. Job applicants across a number of industries and levels of management are opting towards profiles as opposed to longer cover letters.

As with any other section of your CV, the profile must convey a large amount of information that is instantly recognisable, and deliver it in an extremely short space of time. As difficult as this process is, it ultimately presents a chance for you to sell yourself to your prospective employer in 10 seconds or less.

Within a brief and succinct paragraph, your profile should be able to demonstrate your previous skills and experience. Ideally the language and content should highlight issues that make  whoever is looking at your CV realise that you are the right person for the job.

While the writing of a suitable profile can be a complex and difficult process, it can also present an opportunity for the jobseeker. Within a few short sentences, an employer may have found the qualities, experience or ambition in order to convince them to keep reading and examine your CV in greater detail. A solid profile can be the first step in your successful application process.

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When returning to work after maternity leave, you may be undergoing a number of emotions, positive and negative. Whatever your feelings, put on a brave face and show your employers you are still as capable and dependable as you ever were, whether you believe it or not.

“The emotional and psychological impact of going back to work can be very stressful, particularly after the first child” says Sharon Vize, of Career Consultants. She advises that preparation is the key to successfully returning to the workplace. This can include a detailed back to work plan, and if possible doing it before you leave. This can allow you to find out what flexibility is or will be available, give you and your company time to plan accordingly.

This planning ahead isn’t just a courtesy for your employers. The current economic climate has changed the situation dramatically, resulting in less flexibility when returning from maternity leave. “It’s about you coming up with the solution rather than expecting your employer to” according to Vize “You need to present them with suggestions and explain how this can work for them.”

Importantly, there is no legal obligation for your employer to consider requests for flexible hours, so you should prepare yourself for a “no” answer and maintain the idea of a “yes” as a pleasant surprise.  Even if your request is initially rejected remember to keep your eyes on the prize, by maintaining your standards and showing yourself to be an engaged and valuable employee you may be able to revisit the topic at a later date.

If the answer is yes, similar standards must apply and you must demonstrate you are willing to follow the agreement to the letter. Once the times are set do not infringe on these even slightly. If you say you will be there at 8am be there at 8am, even if you are the only person in the office.

Communication is a vital part of the process. Remain good humoured and make sure everything is addressed effectively and with adequate time to make preparations. Ensure you are aware of what is expected of you when you return, and consider how this impacts on your careers and goals. An excellent way to address this is to ask for a meeting before you return to work. This can show you are still fully engaged and proactive.

Lastly, be flexible. Returning to work after maternity leave isn’t a one way system of shifting hours and management seeking to ease the transition for you. Demonstrate quickly and diligently that you are both productive and eager to find a solution that works for everyone. For example, if your manager agrees on 3 days per week then ensure you can be contacted via phone or email the other days. The more you can demonstrate a willingness to find a solution and be open minded the better the return you’ll see.

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Before you know it you’ll be surfing the professional networks, establishing connections and creating exciting opportunities for yourself and your business.

But there’s a slight problem. You don’t have a profile.

Building a profile is the first step towards starting your LinkedIn use, however for many it can be a tripping point. A good profile can say a lot about you, give people a snapshot of your professional credentials, and encourage them to engage with you on a professional level. A bad profile can leave people wondering who you are, what you do, and why you’re trying to connect. This guide will take you step by step through the main points from building your first profile.

Get a picture!

Frequently this can be a tricky topic for users. Either they don’t have a suitable picture or they’re not sure they want a picture of themselves up on the internet. A profile picture is typically a necessity, as not being able to put a face to the name can be quite disconcerting. The type of picture is important but not difficult, it should simply be a nice respectable picture of you, smiling if possible.

What’s a Summary?

A summary is a basic rundown of your current status, previous experience, and areas of speciality. LinkedIn has tonnes of examples of these, and if you’re not sure just start randomly checking pages to get a feel for it. Always write in the 3^rd person and be as economic with your phrasing as possible. People will usually not read a long summary so keep it to a few sentences at absolute maximum.

Work Experience

This can be a tough area to fill out (despite seeming relatively straightforward) as most are unsure of stating too much or too little information. Generally the key to this is moderation. Include the major working points of your career, the major duties in each job (the important ones, not the one where you were on tea rotation) and then leave it at that. If you’re job was more than a few years ago you don’t need to go in to massive detail about it.

Keywords

This may seem to be a minor part of the profile, but may well in fact be the most important (or at least, the most critical not to have) aspect of the process. The “Skills & Expertise” section allows you to list the areas you’re particularly good or interested in. This is not just for your profile, this will also allow keyword searches to rank your profile higher. Essentially, when people are looking for someone with, say, social media marketing skills, you can rise higher in that ranking by having it as one of your skills. This will ensure that when you want to be found, you will be.

There are a number of other elements involved in creating an online profile, however these are best discovered yourself, as you scan other profiles to see what you think works and what doesn’t and become more familiar with LinkedIn. Typically you should only place as much information online as you’d be happy to discuss with a complete stranger, however in this case you will most likely find that if you give a little, you’ll get a lot back.

The post How to Build your LinkedIn Profile appeared first on Career Consultants.

The basics are quite simple, a professional network for establishing and maintaining contacts in a business context. Similar to other social media sites you “add” people, and if they approve the connection, you have access to their profile. If you don’t they may keep their profile visible anyway, or they may have a restricted viewing that is only open to some. Unlike Facebook the content is not your daily comings and goings, but rather a summary of you as a professional, and perhaps any relevant industry news or events you’d like to pass on (though this is not required).

Getting more complicated

This is where things begin to get a little more difficult, however. What should you put on your profile? How much information should you give? Who can see it? The questions become more difficult from there, who to connect with, should you know them beforehand?

Fortunately, the answers to these questions are easier than they appear, and with some simple pointers they are very quickly resolved.

Getting Started

Your LinkedIn profile is essentially a snapshot of your professional history and current occupation. It is not quite as detailed as your CV, however will convey similar information in terms of your career and a basic overview of your achievements.

The summary section will be a brief profile (who you are, some key qualities) and a brief list of your major skill sets. This is important for both describing yourself and SEO processes, which we’ll discuss a little later.

LinkedIn will provide examples at every stage on exactly how much information to give, how to phrase etc. Importantly you will need to use your own judgement in how much information to give and what exactly is/was relevant. Privacy and access are issues that you can alter yourself in your account settings, but a good rule of thumb is to leave out anything that you wouldn’t be happy for the general public to see.

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There are a number of skills managers need to have for the trauma of telling employees they could be out of a job. Career Consultants can provide practical advice for managers on how to approach redundancy interviews and handle employee reactions. This will ensure that, even in the most difficult circumstances, the manager is as prepared as possible and will have their own planned script and structure in advance of the interview.

Managers are advised to expect negative reactions and are encouraged to provide the business reasons for the redundancy and remove themselves from personal responsibility. Losing a job is traumatic and common reactions include denial, shock, anger or depression so while managers are expected to listen with empathy they need to move the employee on to the next phase

It is important for Managers to be aware of when to inform their employees so they need to be sensitive to birthdays, anniversaries or other significant dates. The time of day is also important as employees should be informed at a time when they can process the information properly and minimise the impact.

There is no “easy” way to break the news, however when managers have been properly trained it can significantly reduce the impact. Breaking the News training, as part of an outplacement program can provide departing employees with the feeling that they have been treated fairly and with respect which will help them prepare to move to the next step in their career.

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