Redeployment: a better way to manage change

At some point in their evolution, most organisations face the prospect of retrenching employees, and most do it reluctantly. Yet in the face of volatile business conditions, cutting staff comes to seem inevitable.

But what if there's a better way? Right Management believes that both organisations and individuals can often avoid the negative effects of redundancy, by focusing instead on redeployment. 

Analysis shows that one in five of Right Management's career transition candidates return to their original employer, so why not encourage this movement? The key is to create a dedicated redeployment process, which facilitates the transfer of talent from a contracting part of the business to a growth area within the same business.

Not only does this approach benefit employees, who are spared the stress of being made redundant, it allows the organisation to retain corporate knowledge and fill vacant roles cost-effectively. It also aligns with the Fair Work Act, which requires employers to consider redeployment options before making retrenchments. This doesn't just apply to the single company either - an employer must consider whether the employee could be moved to any of its subsidiaries.

Despite the benefits, however, most organisations don't have the systems in place for a successful redeployment process, large institutions in particular are hampered by artificial silos within the business - meaning time, money and talent are going to waste. 

Indeed, cost is a big motivator for employers to get redeployment right. The obvious costs of downsizing are redundancy payments - but if the company subsequently rehires the staff member through an external recruitment process, it faces recruitment costs and lost productivity associated with bringing new employees up to speed.
 
There are also less visible costs, such as a loss of institutional knowledge and employee loyalty. If not managed well, making staff redundant can lower the engagement and productivity of remaining employees. These team members often face change, uncertainty, shifting responsibilities and increased workloads - all of which can lower morale.

Building a redeployment capability

A successful redeployment program needs to overcome the silo-like nature of many workplaces. Different departments, business functions or geographies usually don't know whether opportunities exist outside of their own 'patch', so they need organisation-wide processes and networks, in order to communicate and connect. 

Another key to success is making sure it comes from the top. Executive and Senior management needs to support the concept, and both HR and hiring managers need to build it into their talent acquisition strategies.

Managers also need to communicate with employees to make them aware of opportunities for redeployment, then motivate them to embrace change and adapt to new roles. They also have an important role to play in helping individuals accurately assess their skills and potential for other roles.

Right Management works with leading organisations keen to build their redeployment strategy. Some of the key steps in this process are to:

• Create an online redeployment portal that enables employees to post, search and apply for internal positions.
• Encourage individuals to undergo a 'self-discovery' process to help identify their unique skills and competencies.
• Provide development with one-to-one coaching in job-search basics such as resume development, networking, self-marketing and interviewing.
• Identify redeployment champions within the organisation to act as mentors, advocates and coaches for employees seeking redeployment opportunities.
• Offer objective career guidance to ensure employees are able to effectively assess roles and determine best 'fit' for both individual and organisational needs.
• Prepare employees for success by providing training for new roles.

Redeployment is an effective way to retain talent, manage recruitment costs and minimise the disruption that often comes with downsizing or restructuring. The key is to make it an enterprise-wide initiative, with commitment from all levels of the organisation.

While an internal job board is a good start, it's not enough on its own. Employees need mentoring, tools and support to identify and secure the right role, while managers need processes that make it easy to hire from within. For HR, it's an opportunity to drive an initiative that makes a real difference to the organisation and its employees.

About the author

Tim Roche is career management practice leader at Right Management

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