Indiana HR Conference: “Building a Better Culture By Letting People Go”

JoyPowered® author and HR on the Mat co-host Peggy Hogan will lead this session at the Indiana HR Conference.

Much like the song “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” by Paul Simon, there are many ways for employees and employers to part ways. And when Neil Sedaka sang “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” did he realize it applied to the workplace, too? Whether they leave us, or we leave them, it’s tough, and how it happens matters. In this session, we’ll explore various ways that the employer/employee relationship dissolves and the possibilities for a positive relationship to continue. Discover strategies with performance management, transparency, and effective offboarding that can ease the pain of termination and improve retention. For too long we’ve grown used to the idea that springing a termination on an employee in a notification meeting and walking them out with boxes is the only way to handle a separation. On the other hand, employees who want to move on have felt they have to sneak around to search for a job, wasting company time and resources because they fear reprisal if their employer finds out. Are there other ways to part more positively? We will propose new ways to bring positivity to career transitions, both to mitigate risk and inspire more employee engagement and retention. Some strategies such as performance coaching, career path discussions, succession planning, outplacement, retirement, and career transition programs will be introduced. What’s the payoff and why should we change? Creating a more positive and transparent culture surrounding career transitions can positively impact the bottom line and we’ll share how.