Keep Ex-Employees Brand Loyal

From Forbes | James Kelly,
03.30.10, 04:00 AM EDT

Making sure former employees remain fans can be
good for a brand.

In the recent film Up
in the Air, George
Clooney plays a human resources consultant who prides himself on his
ability to humanely deliver the difficult news that an employee has
been let go. He sees his job simply: do his very best to turn a negative
situation into something, anything more positive.

The film
reinforces a lesson that many of us have learned in 2009 about the
connection between human resources and brand management. The manner in
which companies part ways with their employees has a potent and lasting
effect on the former employee, employees who remain, and the brand.

As we enter a new year, now may be the
right time to take a second look at your company's exit process and your
alumni program. Some lessons learned now could go a long way toward
helping you make changes that will keep your former staff more loyal to
the brand.

Aside from simply doing the right thing, there are some
compelling reasons to think long and hard about your people as they
walk out the door:

Business etiquette. The golden rule applies in business
as well as elsewhere: Treat others the way you would want to be
treated--in this case, with respect, dignity and human interest at a
pivotal time. The reputation of your brand will be influenced by how you
handle this moment above all others.

Hedge your bet. People who leave the fold rarely
disappear into the sunset. Instead, a high percentage of them will pop
up working for a competitor, industry organization, or client. You'll
want to be on the best possible terms with those folks, no matter what
their future holds. Remember too that more than one happy alumnus has
delivered business to a former employer. Be that employer.

Trained talent. Highs and lows in business are
cyclical. When valued employees leave, or if you've been forced to shed
jobs for the short term, keep in mind that you may want to entice some
of those employees back one day. They already know your business, and by
the time you're ready, they may have increased their skill sets. That's
a talent pool worth tracking.

There are two important factors to
keeping your people brand loyal: how you say goodbye and how you keep in
touch.

First Order of Business: A Dignified Exit Process
Alumni relations begin the day employment ends, so pay
attention to the exit process and how well it reflects your brand
promise. If your company has invested heavily in employees at the
beginning and during the course of the relationship, why squander those
investments at the end? There are many different horror stories of
undignified dismissals, but they all end the same: with a disgruntled
alumnus and a brand critic for life.

When handled effectively, an exit can reinforce the strengths of your brand. Regardless of employee seniority or position, the exit process should be as positive as possible. Some things to consider:

--Hold a mini career fair among employers in your industry, inviting them to your location to meet exiting employees.

--Set up a secured space with resources like Internet access and
resume assistance for job hunters. Make it available to departing staff.

--Organize
community volunteer opportunities that may help ex-employees focus on
something other than the job search
even while they are networking.

These are just a few examples.
You may think of dozens more that are consistent with your brand and its
promise to key stakeholders.

Second Order of Business: Keeping in Touch--The Alumni Program
We've all heard the expression that "your people are your
brand." True, but make sure the definition of people includes those in
the alumni program. If your alumni remain advocates of your brand, your
circle of influence increases and you become more attractive as a
company. And when highly trained alumni are back in the job market, your
continued presence gives you the edge in their minds over an untried
position in an unknown company.

A strong alumni program becomes an important part of the exit
process. Former employees join a community that can help them as they
continue with their careers--no matter where they go. Be sure to
introduce exiting employees to, and enroll them in, the alumni program
before they leave.

If you have an alumni program, now would be a
good time to assess its effectiveness for the Class of 2009. Is it
meeting their needs in its current form? Or does it need to be improved
in light of the past year?

If you don't have an alumni program,
this is an opportune time to start one. It will give your former
employees some positive steps after such a difficult time. Programs can
be as modest or complex as you require, but there are some best
practices and ideas to keep in mind:

Strong leadership. It's crucial that senior leaders
support the program. Consider forming an alumni committee that reflects
the major areas of the business to send a message to employees that
alumni relations are a high priority.

Solicit alumni input. To ensure your program is
relevant, get alumni involved in designing it. Invite selected alumni to
serve on your alumni committee. What topics interest them? What events
would they like to attend? How (and how often) do they want you to
communicate with them?

Create a real incentive to connect. Find workable
incentives to encourage ex-employees to stay in touch with you. For
example, many employees who leave professional services firms hold
professional licenses (CPA, CFA, attorney, etc.) that require them to
obtain a certain number of continuing education credits each year to
maintain their designations. By hosting events that incorporate an
educational element, you can stay connected and fill an ongoing alumni
need.

Encourage peer-to-peer networking. Helping alumni make
business connections, give and receive referrals and exchange leads for
new job opportunities expands your connections exponentially. This form
of outreach isn't purely altruistic--it can set you up to forge new
relationships, win work, or tap into sources of new talent (not to
mention that having former employees among your clients can give your
brand a boost and place your company in the enviable position of being
viewed as a preferred provider).

Social contributions. Let your alumni participate in
your company's corporate social responsibility efforts, and encourage
them to launch efforts of their own. For example, McKinsey alumni have
formed a powerful network called McKinsey Alumni in Development to help
organizations and countries worldwide tackle serious issues, such as
helping to fight poverty in rural Africa.
Encouraging alumni to make a difference will also strengthen their
connection to your brand.

Career coaching. Engage alumni to serve as mentors and
coaches to employees in your company and vice versa. If you are not
already doing so, offer a complementary program through your HR
department to assist senior employees who are looking to make a career
move by helping place them with clients.