By GVGL Marketing CEO, The Marketing Society UAE Board Member, Ebru Tuygun

Transformation. Restructuring. Realignment.

The corporate world is once again navigating a storm of job transitions, redundancies, and organizational shifts. And behind every decision stands a human being — often an overwhelmed HR leader — carrying the emotional weight of change, forced to manage uncertainty, confusion, and difficult conversations.

You worry about how to handle the situation with care.
You worry about morale.
And increasingly, you worry about your employer reputation.

NDAs may be signed, exit interviews may be conducted, but let’s be honest — the story doesn’t end there. People talk. Families notice. Colleagues feel the silence. The psychological impact ripples across your organization and far beyond. Because even if your process is “fair,” the question always remains: Fair according to whom?

At some point, the people you let go today:

  • Will be your future consumers
  • Will influence others’ decisions about your brand
  • Might become the decision-makers you pitch to tomorrow

Let that sink in.

If the way you handled their exit made them feel invisible, unheard, or discarded — they’ll carry that story. And stories travel far faster than your next campaign.

Before you make another move, ask yourself:

What’s the true cost of how we’re managing this now?

The impact reaches beyond talent retention — it affects your sales, stock prices, and brand equity.

At GVGL, we help companies navigate this challenge with humanity, strategy, and long-term vision. Because transformation doesn’t have to damage your brand — it can strengthen it.
Here’s how:

4 Ways to Protect Your Employer Brand During Turbulent Times

1. Empathy First: What If This Were Your Family?

Before you make any redundancy decision or draft a script, pause and ask:
What if this were my sister, my closest friend, or even me?
That question alone changes everything.

Make sure you’re giving people more than paperwork — offer real support: career coaching, emotional resources, and time to process. Treat each transition not as a closure, but as a respectful handover to what’s next.

2. Turn Redundant Employees Into Brand Ambassadors

It may sound impossible — but former employees can become some of your strongest advocates.

Launch or revitalize your Alumni Program. Help outgoing employees stay connected to your network. Invite them to company events, panels, or even future roles. Give them a farewell kit with a personal letter and an alumni brochure. Let them know: you still matter to us.

3. Support the Ones Who Stay: Silence Breeds Negativity

When colleagues are let go, the remaining employees are often left with anxiety, guilt, and more pressure to perform — with less.

That’s where negativity festers. Combat this by hosting regular employee gatherings. Share honest updates. Reinforce the shared mission. Create space for connection. Even small gestures — a thank-you note, a team breakfast, a heartfelt “How are you doing?” — make a lasting impact.

4. Activate Your Brand Culture Internally

In difficult times, your employer brand can’t just be external messaging — it has to come from within.

Launch internal brand culture and engagement programs that give employees a sense of belonging and purpose. Help them articulate why life at your company still matters. When employees believe in the brand, they naturally become your most powerful ambassadors.

Don’t Just Say Goodbye — Help Them Say Hello to What’s Next

We don’t just support organizations — we support the people leaving them.

At GVGL, we work with companies to help departing employees reframe this moment not as a failure, but as a chance. A chance to reset, to grow, to start something new. Through coaching, storytelling, and respectful transition strategies, we help individuals find peace in the pain, clarity in the confusion, and courage for the chapter ahead.

Because sometimes, the thing that feels like the end… is the beginning of something better.

Your Brand Lives in Every Goodbye You Say

The question is not whether people will talk — they will.
The question is: What do you want them to say about you?

When all eyes are off the stage, when the headlines are gone, your legacy will be built in moments like this.

What goes around comes around.
Today’s former employee could be tomorrow’s client, investor, or boss.
And one day, you may be in their shoes — looking for dignity, grace, and understanding.

Create a brand that makes people say,
“Yes, this was hard… but they did their best for me.”
“They treated me with humanity.”
“And maybe this is exactly what I needed to grow.”

The way you let someone go… may be the most important thing they remember about you.