A mentor can provide insights, constructive feedback, and encouragement to foster your growth, irrespective of whether you’re embarking on a career change, taking on a leadership role or just striving to be as successful as you can be in your current role. If you haven’t already, then now is the perfect time to find a mentor.

Here’s my top 5 reasons why finding a mentor in 2025 should be a priority:

1. Learn from their experience: 
   Choosing the right mentor is crucial. Ideally you are looking for someone who has a background that you feel you can learn from. This doesn’t necessarily mean they have to work in the same role or sector as you. Choosing someone who has strengths in areas you want to develop is a good place to start.
2. Have access to a constructively critical sounding board:
   A successful mentorship partnership is based on trust, honesty, and transparency. Mentors can give you unbiased and constructive feedback. This can help you broaden your perspective on situations & look at new ways to approach challenges or opportunities. Their positive reinforcement can also help you maintain a positive mindset, even when facing significant challenges.
3. Accelerate your personal growth: 
   Mentors want to help you grow & thrive. In your conversations they will spend time getting top know you & what you want out of your working life. Their personalised (& objective) support and challenge can help you build knowledge, skills and experience much quicker than trying to do it alone.
4. Get help with goal setting:
   A mentor can be a great aid for anyone who is struggling to set and or achieve goals. They can support with setting challenging, yet attainable, goals, and help hold you accountable, ensuring you stay on track and maintain motivation. 
   
5. Build your connections:
   Mentors can connect you to their own networks with mentees, introducing you to other professional contacts who could positively impact your opportunities and experiences in the present or future.

The benefits of mentorship are immense, from expanding your knowledge to gaining a fresh perspective on your potential. Finding the right mentor can be a game-changer in both your personal and professional life. As we step into 2025, make mentorship a priority and take the initiative to seek out someone who can guide, support, and challenge you. The right mentor can be the catalyst for unlocking your full potential.

The post “Everyone Needs a Mentor” and why you should find one by h2h Lead Consultant, Caroline Forman appeared first on h2h.

In the challenging world of career transitions, whether due to redundancy, restructuring, or a change in personal direction, resilience is one of the most critical skills to master. As a career and outplacement coach, I am deeply influenced by the work of Jenny Campbell and in particular her insights on resilience at The Resilience Engine. One of the most profound elements of Campbell’s approach is that resilience is not about being unshakable or simply enduring stress. Instead, it’s about embracing our capacity for change and adapting to new realities.

Formula

Personal Resilience: Mindset + Pacing & Perspective + Purpose

Resilience: A Capacity for Change

One of the foundations of Campbell’s approach is that resilience is not synonymous with toughness or avoidance of stress. Rather, it is our ability to adapt to and accept change that truly measures our resilience.

In my role, this shift in mindset is crucial, especially for individuals dealing with unexpected changes like job loss. When your role is suddenly no longer part of an organisational structure, the ability to quickly recognise the impact of that change and embrace it becomes essential. Transitioning into the job market after a redundancy can be disorienting. At these times, resilience isn’t about pushing harder or denying the feelings of uncertainty and loss. Instead, it’s about cultivating a mindset that allows you to adapt, strategize, and move forward with purpose.

Jenny Campbell’s formula for resilience, above, has been transformative not just in my personal approach, but also in how I coach my clients.  Each of these elements is critical, and they become even more valuable when resilience is running low during a job search. In coaching sessions, I consistently review this formula with my clients to help them understand where they might be struggling and how to strengthen their resilience.

Mindset: It’s all too easy to fall into negative thinking when faced with a series of job applications that yield no responses. Job search fatigue can wear down even the most positive individual. This frustration can stem from various factors – AI systems sifting through CVs, an overload of applicants, or internal candidates being preferred. While these elements are often out of your control, maintaining a strong mindset is crucial.

In fact, one of my recent clients shared some wonderful feedback. He had been struggling to see how his skill set could apply outside of his current industry, and this lack of roles in his area was fuelling his anxiety. By working together, we identified not just his current strengths, but his potential skills—those capabilities he hadn’t fully explored yet in his career. Shifting his perspective allowed him to expand his job search into areas he hadn’t previously considered, leading to an increase in interview requests and a much-needed boost in his enthusiasm and energy.

Pacing and Perspective: This part of Campbell’s equation is just as important. Job seekers often feel a sense of guilt if they step away from the hunt to recharge, especially if they are under pressure to find work quickly. However, maintaining your energy and preventing burnout is crucial to your long-term success. I encourage my clients to balance their time, incorporating activities that restore their energy and offer a fresh perspective.

Purpose: Finally, we discuss purpose, a key driver in maintaining resilience during job transitions. Without a sense of purpose, it’s easy to feel lost. For some, purpose is tied directly to their career, while for others, it can be found in personal pursuits, relationships, or community involvement. Helping clients reconnect with their purpose often allows them to see the path through the uncertainty and the stress of change.

If you or a member of your team are currently finding it difficult to maintain a positive mindset through the job search process, I encourage you to reflect on this approach: mindset, pacing & perspective, and purpose and reach out to h2h for support during redundancy and or internal career moves. We can help you dive deeper into how to leverage these concepts to build your resilience and transform your career path.

Contact us at enquiries@h2h.uk.com or www.h2h.uk.com to start the conversation and map out a plan that sets you on the path to success, no matter what the obstacles.

For outplacement support                        newleaf

For career planning support                    passport2progress

The post Building A Resilient Mindset In The Challenging World Of Career Transitions by Caroline Forman, h2h Lead Consultant appeared first on h2h.

Our Managing Director, Susan Binnersley, recently spoke to the hosts of a podcast with LACE Partners about how outplacement can be used by HR to ease the difficulties of employee departures. You can listen to the full episode via this link, and we have summarised three of Susan’s top tips for HR leaders in this blog post.  

1. Being clear is being kind   

Clarity is vital during the redundancy process, and it is important that HR teams and line managers are on the same page from the start, prior to any communication with the individuals who will be impacted. From the CPO to the line manager, the HR community must align and support one another through the process and present a united front to the wider workforce. 

When the time comes to inform the workforce of redundancies, there will understandably be a number of questions – from broad queries to specific questions on how it will impact each individual. There will be a legal process that has to be followed and in many cases managers are briefed on exactly what to say and when, which can limit their ability to answer some specific questions in detail. This is often a good thing, because it forces clarity. The key message I have for any CPO or manager who is handling the redundancy is: communicate clearly, back it up in writing and keep it simple. Being clear is being kind.  

2. Invest in outplacement 

I would encourage everyone to offer outplacement. We understand that businesses are making these tough decisions because of financial difficulties, but outplacement doesn’t have to cost the earth. Consider: what is the art of the possible with this redundancy? Supporting people through their exit is beneficial for the individual and for the wider workforce. There’s a lot of free resources, through ACAS for example and trade unions can also provide constructive help.  

Fundamentally the role is being made redundant, so with the right coaching there might be an opportunity for people to reskill and point their career in a new direction within the same organisation. But even if the employee is leaving the business, the outcome is often very positive as it can give the person a fresh start and position them in a role that is much more suited to their skills and career goals. Through the coaching and support that outplacement provides, employees facing redundancy can uncover new career aims and ambitions.  

3. Prepare and plan ahead  

Most organisations can anticipate that they might need to go through this process at some point in the future, particularly during the current climate. HR and business leaders should talk in advance and decide what this experience should feel like for their organisation and its people, so that it’s not a shock. In this preparation stage you can lean on the support that trade unions offer, access a wealth of online resources, select an outplacement provider – https://www.h2h.uk.com/newleaf/ and map out how the redundancy and outplacement process could look for your business. This will make the process a lot smoother when the time comes.  

Line managers should also be equipped with the right training they need to have difficult and direct conversations with their teams, which is a useful skill outside of the redundancy scenario. Remember that when there are redundancies the wider workforce is also watching, they’re deciding whether or not to stay with the organisation and they will base their decision on the way their peers are being treated. In order to retain the best talent and avoid any difficulties hiring in the future, it is important that the redundancy process is handled sensitively and professionally.  

If you would like to speak to a member of the h2h team about navigating the redundancy process, outplacement or HR coaching, you can call us or fill out our contact form.  

The post Navigating the redundancy process as a HR leader by Susan Binnersley appeared first on h2h.

Despite having encountered redundancy prior to joining, the term ‘Outplacement’ was unfamiliar to me when I first came to work for h2h. Similarly, many of the clients we engage with in our newleaf programmes express a similar lack of awareness. Also referred to as career transition services, outplacement is a service offered by employers or outsourced specialists to aid employees in securing new employment opportunities. 

h2h has been delivering newleaf outplacement services for nearly 20 years, assisting hundreds of individuals and groups as they navigate through career transition. Our approach is built upon a unique four-phase framework. 

Initially, we focus on Stabilise. Redundancy constitutes a significant life event; viewing it through the lens of the Kubler-Ross change curve, the stabilisation phase assists individuals in processing shock, denial, and potential frustration. Our qualified career coaches guide individuals through this phase, providing emotional support, practical financial planning tips, and signposts to professional assistance if required. Establishing stability is crucial, laying the groundwork for a positive mindset as individuals embark on their career transition journey. 

Subsequently, we delve into the Explore phase, where the need for support is often most pronounced. However, it’s also during this phase that we witness transformative shifts in thinking. Encouraging divergent thought, we explore various career and lifestyle alternatives, prompting individuals to introspectively evaluate their skills, values, and sources of motivation. This approach fosters a deliberate, focused job search strategy, empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their next career move. 

Armed with an enhanced understanding of their transferable skills, values, and aspirations, we progress to the Secure phase—a practical stage designed to equip individuals with the tools to navigate today’s competitive job market. From refining CVs and honing interview techniques to leveraging LinkedIn effectively or even venturing into entrepreneurship, our career coaches work closely with individuals to share their expertise and ensure individuals can pitch the very best version of themselves.  

Upon successfully securing a new role, our support extends into the Perform stage, facilitating a seamless transition into the new position. We assist individuals in acclimating to their new environment, identifying key stakeholders, and delineating short- and long-term development objectives. 

“The most valuable aspect of a coaching program? Without a doubt, it’s the 1-2-1 sessions. It’s not just about the tailored advice; it’s the human connection, the mental support, and the assurance that you’re not alone in your journey, which can otherwise feel overwhelmingly isolating.” 

Undoubtedly, the prospect of redundancy, or any career transition, is fraught with stress and anxiety. By providing outplacement support to departing employees, both parties benefit—a departing employee feels valued and supported by their former employer, while the employer fulfils its social and moral obligation to safeguard the welfare of departing staff members. 

The post Navigating Career Transitions: The Value of Outplacement Support by Kathryn Taylor appeared first on h2h.

In the modern workforce arena it is increasingly likely that you will experience redundancy and associated outplacement services at some point in your career.  Although my own experience was driven by voluntary redundancy, it was still a tough and challenging time both professionally and personally and I remember being given a significant folder full of paper and templates and told to go and work my way through it!!  How I wish I’d had a newleaf coach to support me at that time, but hey, redundancy was the best thing that could have happened to me, and I’ve never looked back.

For employers the question is – should you invest in people who are leaving our organisation?  The answer is, overwhelmingly, “Yes you should” and here’s why.

Values

As a business our values are the things are fundamental to our conduct and culture, they underpin our behaviours, our recruitment and performance management processes and they impact directly on productivity.  In my experience as a consultant I’ve supported many organisations through consideration of their values and creation of a dynamic environment where they can become alive and transparent.  Value statements often employ words such as “People, Quality, Development, Respect and Continuous Improvement” and if they are to be truly meaningful and authentic, then how we facilitate people through transition is paramount.  If we can help people to leave our organisation with dignity and a sense of self-worth, then we are being true to the organisational values that we communicate to the world through our online presence, our business and our people management strategies.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

CSR is at the heart of strategic thinking in today’s business world. We are constantly considering our impact on the environment, human rights and sustainability.  However, if you only consider the broader world issues then you may be missing an opportunity at a local level to engage more closely with the communities you serve.  How you choose to support people leaving your business during times of restructure and downsizing sends a significant message to your key stakeholders.  Redundancy has a major impact, not just on your workforce, but on their wider family, friends and the communities in which they live.  Demonstrating that we are a “responsible employer” through outplacement support during times of change encourages us to take a person-centred approach.

Reputation

Your reputation goes hand in hand with your values and CSR, it is key in both attracting and retaining your talent and how we treat exiting colleagues has a direct impact on our brand reputation.  I’ve worked with people who have taken pay-cuts and made significant career choices to ensure they work in an organisation that is reputable as a good employer or have left behind other high-profile employers to work for an organisation that “does right” by its workforce.  How we support people who are leaving our business affects others in our organisation and people make the link between how other people are treated and how “one day that could be me”.

Motivation, morale and productivity

In order to remain competitive and achieve your defined targets your business needs a motivated workforce, – we all know that if people are not engaged then productivity is adversely affected. Morale and motivation across the organisation will undoubtedly be damaged by a redundancy announcement. The remaining workforce can be left feeling vulnerable and output can be further impaired by the way you handle the redundancy process and how you treat departing employees.  Of course, what we really don’t want is for this to per permeate through the business and reaching prospective talent, customers, partners and competitors. Offering a well-designed outplacement programme can help to mitigate the worst effects and reassure your remaining staff that the organisation will look after colleagues who have been made redundant.

So, in answer to the original question, yes, it is critical that an organisation provides meaningful outplacement opportunities for their employees. This is just as important as helping and guiding your people through your career and talent management programmes. Organisations typically invest millions of pounds in their vision, mission, values, strategy, machinery, IT, recruitment and so many other business-related policies and infrastructure and yet it is easy to overlook a glaringly obvious opportunity to do the right thing as a business.

At h2h, we pride ourselves on offering flexible packages to support employees at all levels affected by restructuring. We deliver tangible results, enabling your people to find new work in a reasonable time scale and help to minimise disruption in your business. We have over 15 years’ experience in the marketplace and statistics show that 92% of our clients find a new role within 3 months of contact with us.

Our simple guiding 4 Phase Framework underpins our whole programme and we offer empathetic and pragmatic advice to assist your employees as they leave your business.  Our network of experts are ready to support you in achieving your organisational goals and to help your exiting colleagues to carve out an exciting and fulfilling future.

For further information and an informal chat please contact us on 01347 879056 or write to us at enquiries@h2h.uk.com

The post Why should employers provide meaningful outplacement opportunities? by Helen Gisbourne, h2h Associate appeared first on h2h.