Speaking with a friend yesterday (let’s call him Ted), we found that they had just been made redundant. Ted, and a number of others colleagues were made redundant, and were then given 15 minutes to collect their belongings and go. Whilst they were given the appropriate payouts, it was still a difficult experience, especially so close to the Christmas and New Years holiday season. Ted had been working for a mining services company, and with the downturn in the Australian resources sector, it was not surprising that his company was downsizing their operations and retrenching staff. Still it sucks. It really sucks. It’s hard not to get angry, not to take it personally, and to worry about the future; it can be hard and scary to work out how to get back on the horse.

What we found with our friend Ted, was that this was really an opportunity in disguise: he had been looking for an opportunity to move out of the resources industry and into a more fulfilling line of work, and this was the push he needed. Interestingly, we have found that many CSR, NFP and sustainability professionals made the move to a more meaningful vocation, after being made redundant – it forced them to find the courage to make a change.

Making this transition can be very difficult, and given the bearish labour market we are currently seeing, more and more professionals are being forced to reconsider their options, their industry and their career path. In the event that you do experience redundancy, here are some tips to help you manage your sanity, reputation and career in the process. Continue reading Beat the Redundancy Blues in 6 Easy Steps →

Corporate Social Responsibility is an ethical concept, and its definition across the globe can vary widely – as detailed in our previous Defining the importance of CSR post. Personal and cultural experience is central to an individual’s development of ethical standards and values; thus we can assume that CSR, and engagement in it, must (to a certain extent) also be a subjective and personal experience.

Generally, for external CSR programs, a broader approach can be used, given that a target audience for the organisation’s core competencies should be available, or easily defined. Internally, the ‘one size fits all’ approach does not always apply. Whilst a company will have an organisational culture unique to itself, employees will integrate with this at different levels. Employees at the lower end of engagement, can negatively affect intra-office cohesion, openness of communication, personal productivity and the productivity of those around you. Continue reading Analyst, Diplomat, Sentinel or Explorer? →