Career Transitions are a Very Personal Experience
Why Traditional Solutions May Not Work Anymore

01/12/2021

 Career Money Life was the Victorian recipient (Organisation) for the 2021 CDAA Division Awards for Excellence in Practice. They are an innovative career development and transition platform and marketplace, offering employees and those leading their organisations advice, support, choice of services and providers and access to new career opportunities, all in one digital space. Raksha Yadalam from Career Money Life has written this blog post on why traditional solutions for career transitions may not work anymore.

When an employee has been with an organisation for a long time, it becomes a part of their routine and their daily lives; Careers often become a part of your identity.  Therefore, when an employee’s position is suddenly made redundant, it can be a very daunting and difficult period for them. It’s essential for career practitioners and organisations to support employees through this time. 

As we all know, career transitions can be an opportunity for people to find new pathways, discover a purpose and build a new career. Changing times can cause us to pause and reflect, employees are now going through what is a called a “Great Reflection and Realignment” period, where many employees are leaving their current jobs to connect to what's important and exploring what could be. It’s a great opportunity for transitioning employees to explore their passions and truly find a job that interests them. 

Every individuals’ career transition experience will be unique to their personal circumstances. Employees not only need the right kind of support, but also need the support to be delivered in a manner that truly supports them and their needs. 

The job market is changing, it’s no longer business as usual. Career practitioners should take a hard look and see whether their solutions meet the demands of the evolving markets. 

Here are some small steps that could help personalise the experience:

Offer Flexibility 

Changing careers or finding a new job is never easy, it’s important that we help make this process as smooth as possible. Keep services, options, and features as flexible as possible. Offer different delivery formats (F2F, online or on-demand) and multiple batches or timings to help transitioning employees manage their schedules easily. 

High-Touch Service 

Understanding your clients needs are essential to delivering a service that creates an impact. Sometimes you may have to go the extra mile - make bookings for them, help them understand something better or even offer some suggestions for next steps. Ensure you stay connected with your customers throughout the service delivery and understand what their unique needs are. Try your best to alter and innovate with your business model to accommodate their needs, as much as makes business sense. 

Digital Skills 

Diverse in age, many employees that we’ve supported through the years did not have access to computers and were not adept with technology. For these employees, it’s important to reach out to them over the phone, and assist them on how to avail your services. You can also offer some basic training programs to help them improve their digital literacy. Some employees may have the required skills to get by, for those employees, ensure that you have some upskilling options in some of the emerging tech skills of the future.

Language Barriers 

With some of our more global clients, we’ve seen that some employees prefer receiving support in their local languages. Many employees had different cultural backgrounds, and many of them had limited English language skills. With the help of linguistic experts, we translated our employee communications materials into various languages to help employees understand the process and what support was available to them. We found that this practice helped us support our clients better. 

Always put the “human” first 

Most employees that are stood down are usually long-serving employees that have been in the same industry for years. Along with having to deal with major changes in their professional lives, they may have a lot going on in their personal lives too. Always remember to practice empathy and be understanding while dealing with transitioning employees. Offer support that goes beyond their work life, but also helps them manage their personal lives better too. 

At the end of the day, providing a service that’s well-rounded and personalised to an individuals’ unique circumstances is always better than a one-size-fits-all approach. 

 Clients receive better and more positive feedback from their employees because they feel more supported and motivated to get back on their feet. When you go the extra mile for your clients and customers, they see your efforts - ensuring that they leave, feeling valued and well taken care of.