Redundancy: a few things that are good to know
There's a phrase you'll hear a lot during a redundancy process: "it's not personal." I went through redundancy myself, and I can tell you that at the time, it absolutely felt personal. That's not a character flaw or an overreaction. When your job is going, your income is threatened and you're thrown into uncertainty, of course it feels personal. Anyone who tells you it shouldn't is not being very human about it.
The emotional weight of redundancy is real, and your employer can choose to handle the process with sensitivity and genuine support rather than just reciting the right legal phrases. If yours isn't, that's worth naming. I remember going through a consultation via Teams where one of the people leading it was late because they couldn't find a meeting room. Not illegal, but when you're at risk, that kind of thing signals how little care is being taken and I gave them feedback on it. How the employer handles it and how they treat you through says a lot about them.
One thing that trips a lot of people up is the assumption that if you're at risk, you're definitely going. That's not always true. The role is at risk, not automatically you. Employers are required to consult with you, and if you want to stay, it is completely reasonable to make that case. Make sure you ask question, ask what other roles might be available, ask what the selection criteria are and ask for time off for interviews. It is absolutely a good idea to engage with this process rather than just wait for an outcome.
Ask your employer whether they offer outplacement support. This is coaching provision, usually provided through an external organisation, designed to help you figure out your next step. It might mean exploring a different direction entirely, refreshing your CV, working on interview confidence, or just having space to think. Use it if it's available, but go in knowing what you want to get out of it. Said by someone who absolutely wasted it. Redundancy, while it feels like a door closing, is one of those moments where you might find something better than what you had, and for many people it ends up being that blessing in disguise.
The confidence knock is real too. Even when you know that redundancy is usuallyabout structure and cost, it has a habit of making people doubt themselves. If that's where you are, it's worth getting some support around that specifically rather than pushing through and hoping it resolves itself. Book a free 15-minute discovery call if you're not sure where to start.
