Winds-of-Change in Healthcare

In the light of ongoing and accelerating changes in the Lifescience and Healthcare industries managers and HR-responsibles are facing increasing challenges, especially when it comes to reducing staff. Mergers & acquisitons, digital innovation and worldwide increasing health policy hurdles create an atmosphere of uncertainty despite good financial performance.

Wherever we look, we find stirring news, usually followed by restructuring, e.g. in the biotech sector, where  the takeover of Morphosys by Novartis is going on in the pharmaceutical sector, where Bayer is losing massive lawsuits over glyphosate, which is also likely to have an impact on the healthcare division, in veterinary medicine, where Merck & Co. is buying up one player after another and also in the CDMO business, where Novo Nordisk Holding recently acquired leading Catalent Group with more than 50 production sites worldwide.

Advantages of Outplacement

When it comes to staff reduction a well-structured outplacement program is the instrument-of-choice to guide managers and other high-level staff into new responsibilities, in a responsible and cost-effective way creating a win-win-situation (see table).

Originating in post-World War II USA, outplacement supports departing employees with career transitions, funded by companies. This approach combines coaching and counseling, providing individuals with actionable guidance for self-empowerment and strategic career moves.

Birn+Partners Outplacement Program

Birn+Partners outplacement approach is always individual and tailor-made. It involves three phases aimed at helping departing employees build sustainable career prospects by analyzing their careers and identifying their goals.

Our experienced consultants act as port pilots and guide the clients into a safe harbour based on their management experience and methodological knowhow. We apply a combination of coaching ("help for self-help") and counselling ("tell how to do it").

Clients use standardized materials to collaborate with consultants, incorporating real-world examples to expedite progress. Right from the start, we focus on optimizing application documents, enhancing social media presence and leveraging the client's network.

Written by Torsten Ziegler, PhD, Executive Consultant, Birn+Partners Germany