When someone is told they are at risk of redundancy, the formal consultation process matters. Of course it does.
The meetings, the documentation, the timelines and the legal responsibilities all need to be handled carefully.
But in my experience, both from working in HR and from supporting individuals through outplacement, it’s often what happens outside those formal meetings that people remember most.
The line manager who checks in without making it feel awkward. The HR professional who takes a few minutes to explain how recruiters shortlist CVs. The person who makes a warm introduction to someone in their network. The manager who stays visible, even when they don’t have all the answers.
And I know this from my own experience too. I know what it can feel like to be isolated during redundancy and how much those seemingly small things would have meant to me, not only during the process itself but afterwards, when I was trying to rebuild my confidence and work out what came next.
People still matter while they are at risk of redundancy
One of the things that can sometimes be forgotten is that when someone is at risk of redundancy, nothing has been finally decided.
It’s not a final decision but emotionally it can start to feel like one.
This can be the point where people start to feel as though they have already disappeared. Conversations change. Managers can become awkward. Colleagues don’t always know what to say. Communication can slow down because there may not be much new information to share.
But when communication disappears, people fill in the gaps themselves – and usually with worst-case scenarios.
That’s why communication matters so much during the at risk of redundancy consultation period, even when there is no real update. Sometimes it’s enough to reinforce what has already been shared, explain that things are still happening in the background and remind people who they can speak to if they have questions.
Most people don’t expect HR or line managers to have every answer immediately. But they do notice silence and avoidance, when the people around them stop showing up.
Help line managers stay visible
Line managers carry a lot during redundancy processes.
They may be delivering messages they fundamentally disagree with or worried about upsetting people. They may never have led someone through redundancy before. And sometimes, because they are frightened of saying the wrong thing, they say very little at all.
But people don’t need perfection from their managers. They need presence.
If a manager doesn’t know the answer to something, it’s okay to say that. They can explain that they’ll speak to HR and come back with more information. What matters is that they don’t disappear because the situation feels uncomfortable.
That kind of visibility helps people feel less isolated at a time when they may already be questioning their place in the organisation and what their future looks like.
What to say to someone at risk of redundancy
Most people don’t need forced positivity when they are at risk of redundancy. Phrases like “you’ll be fine”, “everything happens for a reason” or “at least you’ve got a payout” usually come from a well-meaning place but they don’t always help. In fact, they can shut the conversation down.
If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of one of those comments, you might recognise the feeling. You start to wonder whether you should stop talking about it because perhaps the other person is trying to move the conversation on.
That’s the difference between sympathy and empathy. Sympathy can create distance, even when it is intended kindly. Empathy gives the other person space to say more.
That might sound like:
“I can appreciate this is a difficult time for you.”
“There’s a lot of uncertainty and I imagine that feels hard.”
“You don’t need to have everything figured out right now.”
And sometimes the most useful thing you can do is say less. Silence can be really powerful because it gives someone time to think, reflect and decide what they want to say next.
Ask what support would actually help
When people are at risk of redundancy, the support offered needs to feel relevant. That means asking what would help, rather than assuming you already know.
Being at risk of redundancy can make people feel powerless. Decisions may be happening behind closed doors, timelines may feel uncertain and information may be incomplete because final decisions haven’t yet been made. So even small moments of choice can help restore some confidence and dignity.
If you are in collective consultation, employee representatives can be a useful way to gather themes and topics for group sessions. If you’re working through individual consultation, you can ask directly:
- What would be useful right now?
- What would help them you feel more prepared?
- Are there any parts of the job search process that feel particularly unclear or overwhelming?
If you already have an outplacement provider in place, I’d encourage you to ask whether the support can be tailored. I’ve worked with organisations where topics have come directly from consultation feedback. In one case, a client asked for a workshop that included presentation skills as part of a recruitment process because that had come up as a concern. In other cases, people have needed support in more specialist areas, such as the design and creative sectors.
It might also mean being flexible around interviews, protecting time during the working week for people to work on CVs or research roles or making sure they have access to the technology they need to sign up for job alerts and complete applications.
The point is that support is only supportive if it meets people where they are. And sometimes the most useful question is simply: “What do you need right now?”
Offer practical redundancy help for employees
There is a lot HR teams can do to provide practical redundancy help for employees, particularly when people haven’t looked for a job in a long time.
Some people going through redundancy have never really had to look for a job before. I see this often in outplacement support. They may have had long and successful careers, sometimes reaching senior manager, director level or beyond, without ever needing to apply for roles externally in the way they do now.
So what feels obvious to HR can feel completely unfamiliar to them. Things like:
- How recruiters shortlist CVs.
- How applicant tracking systems work.
- How LinkedIn is used in job searching.
- Why tailoring a CV matters.
- What has changed in recruitment since they last applied for a role.
When someone is applying for roles and hearing nothing back, it can quickly start to feel personal. They might begin to question whether they’re good enough, whether their skills are still relevant or whether they’ll find another role at all.
That’s why bringing some reality and clarity to the job search process can be incredibly valuable. This could be through informal lunch and learn sessions, input from an internal talent team, practical CV guidance or a session on how interviews have changed.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. But it does need to be useful.
Don’t overlook financial wellbeing
Another area that organisations can underestimate is the financial fear that redundancy creates.
On the surface, someone may look senior, capable or financially secure. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t anxious about money.
People may be worrying about mortgage payments, childcare costs, pensions, redundancy pay, tax or how long their savings will realistically last. And because there can be shame attached to redundancy and money worries, they may not say any of that out loud.
HR professionals and line managers don’t need to become financial advisers. In fact, they shouldn’t. But they can signpost.
That might mean bringing in a financial wellbeing specialist, arranging a session with a pension provider, sharing information about redundancy pay and tax or signposting to debt, mortgage or benefits support.
Financial wellbeing support during redundancy is about helping people find credible information, not solving their personal finances for them.
Support people with kindness, compassion and dignity
Redundancy is never easy and no organisation can remove the pain of redundancy entirely.
Most people understand that businesses sometimes need to restructure. What they find harder to forgive is feeling discarded during the process.
If you are supporting people who are at risk of redundancy, you may not be able to change the business decision. But you can change how people feel while they are going through it.
And that matters more than we sometimes realise.
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