Interview Story - Overcame a Challenge

This would be the longest year of my long career. Previously, as Pharmacy Director for a major insurance company, we faced a major failure. Our company was a provider of Medicare services for the state of Tennessee in which we were located. It was the backbone of our business.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) open existing contracts that are up for bidding every 2-5 years. Our contract was up for bid. The date was set on our calendars a year in advance. Our Executive and Administrative Staff worked tirelessly as we knew that these contracts were the backbone of our business. Contracts were awarded based on price and performance. Our performance measures continuously exceeded goals. We were ready! We submitted our documentation and presented our reports.

Finally, the day had come. Our CEO called a meeting with all of the Executive Leadership Team, she would share the results. A normally impeccably dressed, joyful, leader appeared in jeans, a baseball cap, and shades, the aura in the room turned somber and down-trodden. The results were evident before she spoke a word. She informed us that we had lost the contract. She laid out the immediate and long-term consequences of such an event. We would begin downsizing and ultimately terminate our business within the next 14 months.

We were a tight-knit group who had developed trusting relationships with our staff. How are we going to tell them that their jobs would soon go away?

I wanted to find a way that we could help our talented and loyal staff avoid unemployment.

I suggested, as a leadership team, that we all pool our resources and contacts to find new positions for staff.

Many members of the leadership team were known throughout the community. We went home to brainstorm. We developed a list of possible employers and contacted our resources. We began matching possible employer’s needs with our best and brightest staff.

As we informed staff of the inevitable lay-offs, we provided them with possible employment opportunities. We met regularly as a leadership team to talk about our placements, and to encourage each other through these many ongoing calls and outreaches. We celebrated losing each team member. And we continued to work together to find positions for those remaining.

Through our outreach, approximately 75% of our staff did not face unemployment following our systematic layoffs and ultimate closure.