Beyond Employment - Understanding Professional Relationships in Transition
While our blog typically focuses on promoting and exploring our professional services, recent events have prompted a different kind of reflection. The healthcare industry has had many changes that have caused disruptive changes in leadership structure. Many organizations have antiquated separation policies and have been unable to keep up with the ever-changing environment. This piece steps away from our usual business focus to consider how we, as organizations, can better honor the human aspects of professional relationships - both during and after employment. After all, how we treat our people, whether currently employed or departed, speaks volumes about our organizational values and culture.
The true character of an organization often emerges in moments of transition, particularly in how it manages relationships after employment. A concerning trend has emerged in corporate environments: implementing post-employment "no contact" policies (whether formal or implied) that discourage current employees from maintaining professional relationships with departed colleagues. This practice extends organizational influence beyond traditional employment boundaries. These practices may be an indication of patterns of cultural behavior that merit thoughtful examination.
When organizations implement such policies, they demonstrate a fundamental belief that professional relationships are institutional assets rather than human connections. By directing the terms of interaction even after employment ends, these institutions claim ownership over relationships developed through shared professional experiences. This approach suggests an organizational mindset that views employee connections as potential liabilities rather than natural outcomes of collaborative work.
For current employees, these directives carry significant implications. The sudden severance of established professional relationships sends an unmistakable message: their own connections exist at the organization's discretion, not as a fundamental right of professional life. This realization often creates subtle shifts in workplace dynamics as employees reconsider their understanding of workplace relationships, professional autonomy, and trust.
The practice of post-employment isolation particularly reveals how organizations approach their institutional narrative. By limiting communication between former and current employees, companies maintain primary influence over the story of why and how someone departed, which can create anxiety and fear among current employees. This careful management of information flow demonstrates a preference for curated narratives over organic professional discourse, suggesting deeper patterns of institutional behavior that may surface in other aspects of organizational life.
These practices are antiquated, and In an era where careers typically span multiple organizations, professional networks are crucial to career development. Attempting to enforce policies encouraging post-employment isolation reveals an outdated approach to professional relationships. It demonstrates an organizational culture that hasn't evolved to understand that strong, authentic professional networks benefit both individuals and organizations in the long term.
The dynamics created after separation indicate whether companies cultivate a culture of respect and trust by supporting ongoing professional relationships or a culture of authority and fear.
For both current and prospective employees, understanding this dynamic provides crucial insight into organizational culture. How a company handles departures and post-employment relationships reveals its true values far more clearly than stated corporate principles or recruitment materials. These practices expose whether an organization views professional relationships as potential risks to be managed or assets to be valued.
It is essential for organizations to examine their separation policies to be most current with the industry. Organizations that promote positive relationships post-employment encourage respect, professional dignity, and internal growth
This understanding helps professionals recognize early signs of problematic organizational culture. When companies attempt to manage relationships beyond the workplace, it often indicates deeper patterns of institutional behavior that may affect other aspects of professional life. Recognizing these patterns enables both current and prospective employees to make more informed decisions about their professional associations and career paths.
So why is it essential for organizations to maintain positive relationships with former employees? Continued connection with former employees fosters a culture of trust and respect and can even improve the morale of current employees. It is also an opportunity for the former employer to expand the organization’s network and may also help with its reputation.
