Let’s face it, a closedown is not a positive experience for anyone.
In most instances I work with clients to grow their business through improving the capability of their teams, and in particular their leaders.
But, this client was different. A government funded Not for Profit who had to close due to a change in policy and a subsequent reallocation of funds.
This had been talked about for a number of years at Federal Government level and so it came as no surprise that 31st January 2023 was announced as the business’ last day.
The organisation was required to deliver business as usual services right up until this last day in accordance with the funding contract.
This posed some significant challenges, the major one being retaining employees until the final day.
Retention is difficult in normal situations, particularly in light of the 2022 employment landscape but this was a whole new challenge.
Working closely with a forward thinking, people focussed CEO, Kathie Sadler, and a committed Executive Team, I am pleased to report the following was achieved:
· Retention of 96% over the last six months.
· An average Pulse survey result of 85% over the last three months.
· A satisfaction with manager support of 89% in the last quarter.
So how did we do this?
We implemented a range of initiatives, including training and development, enhanced communication, weekly updates and regular CEO briefings.
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
It may seem counterintuitive, but we increased the training and development budget. In fact we doubled it. This was done primarily to equip each person with the skills to enter the workforce. This created goodwill amongst all employees who were given the ability to undertake training in areas that would help to secure a position.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
We provided all employees with access to RPL through a partnership with the RTO, Churchill Education. This enabled all employees to gain recognition for their experience and receive a nationally recognised qualification. We worked with employees to collate evidence portfolios and they were able to provide work samples as evidence of their competence across many areas. We published stories of qualifications gained in our weekly employee update, building momentum and uptake of RPL.
Mental Health First Aid
Working with an external provider, WHS & Training Compliance Solutions, we ran a series of inhouse Mental Health First Aid Workshops to equip team members with the skills and knowledge to assist colleagues during the closedown.
Coping with Change
With the support of our EAP provider, we provided a face to face workshop for all employees to address dealing with change. This was undertaken during the last three weeks of operations as "just in time training" to equip employees as they stepped into new roles.
Leadership Development
We continued with our leadership development program at various levels. We added new modules and also worked with PD Training to include Resilience for Leaders so managers could better support their teams during their emotional journey.
LinkedIn training
We engaged a professional to present a series of workshops to our team on how to effectively create and manage their online profiles.
Resume support and coaching sessions
Everyone was invited to have their resume reviewed and receive coaching on how it can be improved. This included providing templates and identifying capabilities that could be added.
Interview coaching
We offered one on one individual coaching on interviews. This was completed just prior to any interview being conducted.
Project Management Skills
We gave team members the opportunity to take on projects to expand their skills. Some projects were short term, others were related to closedown activities.
PULSE SURVEYS TO MONITER SENTIMENT
Luckily, we had the metrics to track and validate our activities. Rather than stop the monthly pulse surveys we continued them right up until the final weeks so employee sentiment could be tracked as we headed towards closedown.
We measured across three areas:
1. Connection: how connected employees feel to the business and its mission;
2. Contribution: how effectively can employees deliver on the requirements of their role; and
3. Care: to what degree do employees feel their managers provides support and genuinely cares for their well-being.
These pulse surveys enabled us to garner feedback on the success or otherwise of our initiatives, and to respond appropriately when teams or individuals provided quantitative and qualitative feedback.
This proactive approach and the constant monitoring of employee sentiment produced a result that most organisations would be proud to have in normal circumstances. The business was able to deliver its service up to the last day of operations.
A closedown conducted with clear communication, support and a focus on equipping employees for their future can be a positive and empowering experience.
Helen Rogerson specialises in leader development, working with organisations to design and deliver initiatives to support their inhouse Leadership Development Programs.
Her book, LeadershipEQ: Everyday Leadership for the Everyday Leader shares a simple leadership framework with examples of actions any leader can take immediately.
Helen adds horsepower to the learning experience by providing Equine Assisted Learning programs in Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Communication, Confidence, Teamwork and Building Relationships.