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Lou Burrows

15 Jul 2009 | 10:05

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In this recession there is a public sense of concern for all the people who have lost their jobs. This week I have a plea for everyone to extend a big wave of support for everyone who is in a job – but in a job they really dislike. Yes, being unemployed is tough. But spare a thought for the people who are working in very unpleasant environments, who dream of redundancy and who spend every spare minute job-hunting.

I have a couple of friends in this situation. Watching the spring in their step being gradually worn down is hard. Their usual positive, upbeat characters have grown pessimistic and cynical. Interestingly, they both blame themselves for staying past the first week. They knew by week one that this was the wrong environment for them.

I recently heard about a company in the US that offers a substantial cash sum to any new joiner who would like to leave in the first two weeks. They run an in-depth induction programme and then let the new joiners work for a few days. After this point, anyone who has made the wrong choice of job is free to go, no questions asked – and with a cash lump sum.

How very smart of the company to realise that getting these people to leave fast and early is the right thing for their business. This way, they don’t spend any time with people who probably know already in their hearts that they have made the wrong choice. They get to leave, head held high and without any sense of failure.

I think this is one of the most deeply felt emotions when it comes to leaving a job. People in the UK are fearful of how it will look on the CV to leave early and so they tend to stick it out.

I look for people who have made some mistakes on their CVs and changed direction. It shows they took some risks, were adaptable, moved on and are resilient. How about if all we HR people said openly when hiring: “Don’t worry about a few jobs on the CV that did not turn out right – tell us your story.”

Perhaps if we invite more stories like this we will end up with fewer “doctored” CVs, which omit any role that shows any sign of failure.

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Language does not simply reflect what is going on in organisational life: it also influences what people think and what they do

Linda Holbeche, director of the Holbeche Partnership and visiting professor of HRM/OD at Cass Business School