Redundancy at Senior Level in New Zealand: What to Do Next
Being made redundant as a senior leader is a strange experience. One week you are running a team, a budget and a board paper. The next you are reading a proposal letter that says your role may no longer exist.
Most advice on redundancy NZ-wide is written for employees in general. It rarely deals with the things senior leaders worry about most. How will this look to the market? What will people say about my exit? How long will the search take, and where do I start?
The short answer is this. Slow down, get advice on your agreement, agree how your exit will be described, look after yourself and then plan a focused search. This guide takes each of those steps in turn, from the first conversation to your first new interview.
Redundancy NZ: what is different at senior level?
At senior level, a redundancy is rarely just an HR process. It is often tied to a restructure, a new chief executive, a merger or a change in strategy. Your role may be one of several at the top table that are changing at once.
That creates a few pressures that more junior staff do not face.
Your exit may be visible to your team, your peers, the board and the wider market.
You may be asked to stay on to help with a handover or a transition.
Your employment agreement may have specific terms that apply to senior roles.
Your next role is likely to come through search firms and networks, where reputation travels fast.
None of this means you have done anything wrong. Redundancy is about the role, not the person. But at senior level, how you handle the exit shapes how the market reads your story.
Step 1: Understand the process before you react
When you first hear the news, it is natural to want to respond quickly. Try not to. Ask for the proposal in writing and take time to read it properly.
Look for what the employer is proposing, the reasons given, whether you are being consulted and what the timeline looks like. Note any meetings you are invited to and who will be in the room.
Then find your employment agreement and read it again. Senior agreements often include terms about notice, redundancy, restraints, confidentiality and incentives. You may not have looked at these since the day you signed.
It is also worth writing down, while it is fresh, what has been said to you and when. Keep your notes factual and calm. You may never need them, but they help if questions come up later.
Step 2: Take proper advice
This is the most important step, and many senior leaders skip it. They assume they know the rules, or they do not want to seem difficult.
An employment lawyer or a specialist adviser can explain your rights, your options and whether the process looks fair. They can also help you understand what is standard for your level and what may be open to discussion. I am not a lawyer, and this guide does not give legal advice. The rules and the right approach depend on your agreement and your situation, so take advice early, ideally before you agree to anything.
A good adviser can also help you stay measured. It is much easier to keep the relationship professional when someone else is handling the detail.
Step 3: Agree the reference and the announcement
For senior leaders, two things matter almost as much as the financial terms. How will your exit be announced, and what will your employer say if a recruiter calls?
Try to agree both before you leave.
The announcement. Ask to see the wording of any internal or external message about your departure. A neutral, respectful line such as “following a restructure of the leadership team” protects everyone.
The reference. Agree who will act as a referee and what they are comfortable saying. A named senior person who will speak to your work is far more useful than a letter confirming your dates.
Your own words. Agree a short, consistent line you will use yourself. You will say it many times, so it needs to be simple and true.
Our guide to executive exit agreements, references and announcements covers what to ask for and how to raise it.
Step 4: Look after yourself first
Even when you saw it coming, redundancy can knock your confidence. Senior leaders are often so used to holding things together for others that they forget to do it for themselves.
Give yourself a short break before you launch into a search, if you can. Talk to people you trust. Keep a routine. Exercise, sleep and time with family matter more than usual.
It also helps to separate the event from your worth. Your role was removed. Your skills, results and reputation were not. A pattern I see often is a capable leader rushing into applications while still angry or shaken, and it shows in interviews. A little space usually leads to a better search.
Step 5: Reset your story before you go to market
Before you talk to recruiters, get clear on what you want next and how you will explain what happened.
Ask yourself what you enjoyed most in your last role, what you want to do more of and less of, and which sectors or organisations interest you. This is also a good moment to decide whether you want a like-for-like role, a step up, a change of sector or a portfolio of board and advisory work.
Our piece on using a senior redundancy as a reset explores how to use this pause well.
Worked example: explaining the exit
Here is an illustrative example of how to explain a redundancy to a recruiter or panel.
Before: “Well, the new CEO came in and decided to bring in his own people, and I was one of the casualties. It was pretty political, to be honest, and the whole process was handled badly.”
After: “The organisation restructured its leadership team after a change in strategy, and my role was one of several that changed. I am proud of what the team delivered, including a new reporting model and a cleaner audit. I am now looking for a CFO role in a growing business where I can build a finance function again.”
The second version is calm, short and forward-looking. It names results and points to what comes next. Our guide on how to explain a senior redundancy in an interview has more examples and practice questions.
Step 6: Update LinkedIn with care
Your LinkedIn profile is often the first place a search consultant looks. Do not leave it frozen with an old headline, and do not post a long or emotional farewell.
Update your headline to describe what you do, not just your last title. Add results to your most recent role. Decide whether to use an “open to work” setting, and if so, whether to make it visible only to recruiters.
If you post about leaving, keep it short and gracious. Thank your team, name one or two things you are proud of and say what you are looking for. Our guide to LinkedIn after redundancy walks through each part.
Step 7: Plan a focused search
A senior search in New Zealand is often relationship-driven. The market is smaller than Australia’s, and many roles are filled through search firms and personal networks before they are ever advertised.
Build a simple plan.
List the search consultants who cover your level and sector, and contact them with a short note and a current CV.
Write down 20 to 30 people who know your work and could point you to roles or introductions.
Pick a small set of target organisations and learn what is happening in each.
Set a weekly rhythm of calls, coffees and applications, and track it.
Our guide to executive search firms in New Zealand explains how to approach them well.
Common mistakes after a senior redundancy
Signing too quickly. Agreeing to terms before taking advice can close off options.
Criticising the employer. Whatever happened, the market will hear it. Stay neutral in every conversation.
Going silent. Some leaders hide until they have a new role. That makes it harder for people to help.
Applying for everything. A scattered search tells recruiters you are not sure what you want.
Using an old CV. A CV written years ago will not reflect your recent results or the level you now work at.
Checklist: your first month
Have I read the proposal and my employment agreement carefully?
Have I spoken to an employment lawyer or adviser?
Have I agreed the wording of the announcement and who will give a reference?
Do I have a short, calm line to explain my exit?
Have I taken a little time to rest and reset?
Is my CV current and focused on the roles I want next?
Is my LinkedIn profile updated and consistent with my CV?
Do I have a list of search consultants and contacts to reach out to?
If you can tick most of these, you are in good shape to start.
Moving forward with confidence
A senior redundancy is a setback, but it is also a moment to choose your next move on purpose. Take advice, protect your reputation, look after yourself and then run a clear, focused search. The leaders who do this well often end up in roles that suit them better than the one they lost.
If you want support planning your next move, see how I help with executive career transitions.
If you are a senior leader facing redundancy in New Zealand, book a complimentary Clarity Session and we will map out your next steps together.
