Understanding Redundancy: A Guide for Engineering Employees
Redundancy can be complicated for engineering employees to understand. Losing your job and source of income is one thing; however, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re being “fired” due to poor quality work or problematic behaviour.
Employees being made redundant generally haven’t done anything wrong. While employment laws vary depending on where you are in the world, protections prevent companies from discriminating against employees.
This means you can’t be made redundant for reasons like your age or gender. However, engineering companies can choose to implement redundancies when:
- Specific employees are no longer needed: As companies evolve, their talent needs may change. Your team may no longer need your particular skills, so your role becomes obsolete. Your company may have ‘overhired’ because of specific market conditions which have now changed.
- New systems are introduced: If new processes or systems are introduced which cause your job to be unnecessary, this can result in job losses.
- Other workers carry out your role: If other employees can handle the responsibilities of your role, your employer might choose to downsize.
- The workplace is shutting down: If your workplace or engineering business closes its doors, it will no longer need its employees. This could make every employee in the workplace redundant, though some may be moved to another location.
- The business moves: If the company is relocating to a new country or location, and they don’t want to employ you remotely, they may make you redundant. This will allow the business to offer your position to a local candidate instead.
- The business is transferred to a new owner: When a business moves to a new owner, this doesn’t automatically end contracts for employees. However, a new owner may decide to remove some employees they feel are unnecessary.
Redundancy: Knowing Your Rights
If you’re dealing with redundancy in the engineering industry, it’s important to know your rights. The rights you have and the support or financial compensation you can receive will vary depending on your employer and location.
In the United Kingdom, you may be eligible to apply for redundancy pay or ask to be moved into a different job or role. Some employers are required to give staff members a notice period, a consultation, and even time off to help them find a new job while they’re still receiving pay.
You may also have specific rights if your employer is made insolvent.
Crucially, the rules in the UK outline that employees must be fairly selected for redundancy. For instance, you cannot be made redundant because of your age, gender, race, or any disabilities you may have.
If you have any questions about your redundancy or concerns, you can contact non-profit organisations for support.
In the United States, there are still rules against unfair dismissal, and employees can seek compensation if they believe they have been laid off for an improper reason.
However, federal law does not require employers to provide employees with severance payments. Instead, the “WARN” act dictates that employers must only issue severance payments when they fail to provide sufficient advanced notice.
However, some employers add clauses for severance payments and compensations into employment contracts.
Coping with Redundancy: Initial Steps
Losing your job in the engineering industry is a huge adjustment. You’ll likely encounter not just financial issues and anxiety but also a range of emotions. You might feel shock, anger, and resentment. You might even feel a little relieved if you weren’t particularly happy in your role.
It’s important to give yourself time to adjust emotionally and think about what you want to do next. While redundancy is perceived as not a good thing it does offer an opportunity to take stock of your situation and refine your career plan.
Here are some of the initial steps you can take to cope with redundancy.
Step 1: Examine Your Finances
When you’re made redundant, your finances will likely be the most significant cause of stress and anxiety initially.
It’s important to create a plan to preserve your mental health and avoid unnecessary stress. Start by learning as much as possible about the compensation you might be eligible to receive. Next, sit down with your finances and assess your situation.
It’s often a good idea to rethink your budget and eliminate unnecessary expenses from your routine as quickly as possible. Although you might find a new engineering role quickly, being strict with your budget will help you avoid debt while searching.
If you’re worried you won’t be able to handle your bills, consider reaching out to companies to ask for payment holidays. You could also speak to a financial health advisor for guidance.
Step 2: Build Your Support Network
Losing your job can be terrifying. Many people find their self-esteem diminishes as they blame themselves for losing their engineering role. This can prompt you to isolate yourself and withdraw from the people who can help you.
However, it’s important to stay connected with your support network. They’ll remind you that your job loss is not your fault nor something you can control. Friends and family can provide guidance and support when you need it most. They may also assist with your financial concerns or help you search for a new role.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can include various other forms of support in your network, as support groups are available worldwide.
Step 3: Invest in Self-Care
Looking after yourself is crucial when you’ve been made redundant. If your mental health suffers, your physical health can begin to diminish, too. You might struggle with higher fatigue levels, poor sleep, and a problematic immune system.
All of these things will make it harder to stay focused on finding a new role and thriving once you enter a new engineering company. Make sure you look after yourself by:
- Preserving your routine: Although you might not have a job to guide your routine anymore, it’s important to stick to a relatively consistent schedule. Go to bed at the same time each night and try to wake up at the same time each day. This will help to preserve your sleep patterns and make it easier to transition into a new role when one becomes available.
- Staying physically active: Exercising and spending time outdoors can improve your mental health and boost your mood. It also helps strengthen your immunity and endurance, ensuring you stay fit and healthy. Don’t allow yourself to transition into a sedentary lifestyle just because you’re not working.
- Caring for your mental health: Practice mindfulness to ensure you’re present and engaged in every moment. Pay attention to your thoughts and feelings, and challenge any negative thoughts you encounter. Make sure you’re kind and patient with yourself.
- Eating the right food: Nutrition is important to preserving your physical and mental health. Ensure you eat balanced meals every day at the same time. Choose foods that release energy slowly, and stock up on fruits and vegetables. Avoid too much caffeine, alcohol, or sugary foods that can affect your mood.
Dealing with Redundancy: Preparing to Move Forward
Once you have a strong support network, an idea of how you’ll care for yourself, and a financial plan, it’s time to consider moving forward from your current situation.
Entering the engineering job market again, particularly if you’ve been employed for a long time, can be daunting and liberating. While there are skill shortages in every industry today that can make it easier to find a new role, it’s important to have a plan and strategy in place.
Here’s how you can effectively prepare to move forward.
1. Set Realistic Parameters
When you’re eager to re-enter the world of employment, opening your search to a wider range of opportunities is tempting. However, setting realistic parameters based on your skills in the engineering industries and priorities is important.
Ideally, your next role should help you move forward in your career path, ensuring you can unlock new skills and reach your targets. When preparing to start your search, think about the following:
- Geographical location: Are you willing to relocate for a new job or commute to the office? Do you want to work for a local engineering company, or are you exploring new remote and hybrid work opportunities?
- Economic factors: How much do you expect to earn in your role? What’s the average salary for someone with your skills, and how much will you negotiate? Would you expect lower pay for better benefits or flexible working?
- Priorities/Prioritizes and preferences: What’s important for you in a new role? What kind of company culture are you looking for? Are you committed to finding a position in a company that focuses on empathy and well-being for staff?
2. Set Clear Career Goals
Using the parameters you laid out for your job search above, you can set specific goals for your future engineering job search. These goals or targets will help to ensure you can stay focused when searching for the right role rather than just accepting any opportunity to make money.
Take a moment to consider your ambitions and what you want to achieve in the engineering industry going forward. Have your goals changed since you started your first job? Are you interested in a particular part of the industry you hadn’t considered before?
It’s worth setting short- and long-term goals as you enter the next stage of your journey. For instance, if you want to enter a managerial or leadership position in the long term, you might set goals that involve seeking out new forms of professional development in the short term.
Assess your skills, experiences, and qualifications, and decide what steps to take to ensure you can access the role you want.
3. Get Organised
Once you have a clear set of parameters for your job search, the next step is ensuring you have all the necessary resources to apply for a new role. This might start with obtaining any references you might need from previous employers.
You’ll also need to sort out any other valuable employment documentation you will need for administrative purposes, such as previous payslips. Preparing to re-enter the engineering job market is also worth auditing and optimising your professional brand.
Think about how you’re going to present yourself to potential employers. Is your LinkedIn profile up-to-date, with recent achievements and endorsements? Do you have a strong online presence, and what will employers see when they search for you online?
It’s also worth reviewing your CV and cover letter. Ask yourself whether you need to change them based on your experience.
4. Start Networking
Networking is an excellent way to enhance your professional brand and unlock new potential job opportunities.
There are various ways you can expand your network. Start by retaining relationships with the people you met in your previous role adding them on LinkedIn and other social media channels. Join online forums and groups to connect with like-minded people and companies.
You can also find specific forums related to the engineering industry online, where you might be able to filter through job postings and opportunities.
In-person networking can be extremely valuable, too. Consider attending industry events, training sessions, and other environments where you can interact with new people.
5. Hone and Improve Your Skills
Being made redundant means you will potentially have extra time in your day. While some of your schedule may be dedicated to job hunting, you can use the extra hours productively by building on your existing skills and knowledge.
Look at your career goals and ambitions, and ask yourself where you may benefit from acquiring new skills and knowledge. You can attend classes in person if you have the time, reach out to a mentor for one-on-one training, or sign up for online courses relevant to the engineering industry.
Obtaining additional certifications will help you to stay competitive in the job market. It also shows future employers that you’ve used your time effectively during redundancy. Plus, learning can help you expand your network and improve your confidence.
6. Find a Recruitment Partner
Searching for the ideal engineering role alone in a complicated job market can be time-consuming and frustrating. Getting your name in front of the right potential employers is often difficult without a little extra help. Plus, since many employers don’t list jobs publicly, you might miss out on opportunities without realising it.
Working with a engineering recruitment partner can give you a crucial edge in your job search. These professionals can recommend you to employers looking for someone with your skillset. They can help you find job opportunities that resonate with your priorities and values.
Many engineering recruitment agencies can also help with other important steps, like preparing for an interview, refining your CV, or showing you how to explain your redundancy to employers.
Navigating Job Interviews and Staying Motivated
While applying for roles can be daunting enough after losing your job, many engineering candidates find the interview process particularly challenging.
Feeling embarrassed or nervous about sharing that information with a new employer is natural. However, it’s important to remember that redundancies doesn’t indicate a problem with your performance or skills.
Most employers and hiring managers will understand that it wasn’t your fault. The only question they’re likely to ask is what you’ve done since leaving your prior role.
During a job interview:
- Explain your situation: Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed when an interviewer asks you to expand on what happened. Explain what was happening in the business at the time. Be transparent and honest, and avoid talking negatively about your employer, as this can seem petty.
- Demonstrate your successes: Being made redundant doesn’t mean you weren’t a standout engineering employee. Look for evidence of your success in your previous role to ensure you can demonstrate value to a future employee. Highlight what you accomplished in projects with facts and statistics. Use your references from previous employers, too.
- Highlight adaptability: Focusing on how you dealt with what happened and used your time away from work effectively can be an excellent way to boost your chances of success in a job interview. Show your potential employer how you stayed resilient by updating your network, seeking out new forms of training, and enhancing your CV.
- Show why you’re an excellent fit: Avoid giving your new employer the impression that you’re simply applying for any engineering role to make ends meet. Examine the job description carefully, and draw attention to what makes you the perfect fit for this specific position. What experience and skills do you have that are relevant to this role?
- Stay positive: Preserving a positive attitude after what happened is difficult. However, don’t spend your time complaining about how difficult the transitional period has been. Draw attention to what you’ve gained instead, such as the opportunity to refine your career plan and seek out roles you’re truly passionate about.
Staying Positive and Resilient
One important thing to remember is that even if you nail your interview, you’re not guaranteed to get the first new engineering role you apply for. It’s important not to take this personally.
Working with a engineering recruitment company will help. They can offer advice on adjusting your CV or cover letter and guide you towards new skills you should adopt.
They will already have connections in your industry and may be able to represent you to contacts they have privately.
Above all else, stay focused and committed. It can take time to bounce back after redundancy, but you can and will get yourself back on track.
All the best
Steve
At Coalesce we have been partnering with engineering talent for over 27 years; if you want to find out how we can help in these uncertain times, call us on 07512 821708 or email us here.