By Martine Midjord, Senior Consultant, People & Performance A/S
Due to a change of strategy in the company, Sauer-Danfoss had to close down a profitable business unit, which meant the dismissal of a large group of highly appreciated and talented employees.
The management decided to help these employees by offering them an outplacement programme and called People & Performance, who had previously trained the leadership of Sauer-Danfoss in how to perform large-scale cut-backs. We were asked to plan and implement a programme that prepared the employees for their job search in the best possible way.
Senior consultant Martine Midjord takes up the story:
First round
I was met by an understandably angry, yet highly motivated group of workers from all levels of the business unit. They were annoyed that they had been dismissed, yet motivated to learn what it would take to get a new job.
Some of them had not applied for a new job in more than ten years – and one of them had never even written an application before. So we got to work and started with the basic and necessary steps that needed to be taken when you approach a possible future employer. We trained them in writing and ‘selling’ the application and the CV. My 10 years’ experience in recruitment have given me a keen eye for reading CVs so that I know what recruiters look for and what they absolutely do not want to see.
We also discussed how to use networks in a strategic way, how to collect references, how to prepare for interviews and a lot of other relevant things. It later transpired that the collection of references and use of networks paid off. One of those dismissed, Stina Mortensen, contacted her former employer, Danish State Railways, and asked for a reference. Their reply to Stina was: “Wouldn’t you rather have a job with us?”
We want more!
After we had finished the first round the employees asked their management whether it would be possible to have more time, so that we could continue our good work and have more opportunity for individual feedback. So we met again and shared experiences. Some had found job advertisements that they thought were relevant to their colleagues, one had been to an interview where he had felt very comfortable because of the training we had done, and everybody had worked on their CVs - which had been commented upon by prospective employers.
Back to work
Sauer-Danfoss appointed DCC Team Leader Tim Lentz Mortensen to lead the unit for the months up to closedown. I discussed the outplacement process with him a few months later and he told me: “Except for a few people, all former employees now have new jobs. We cannot wish for more than that.”
For further information about outplacement processes, please contact Martine Midjord.