I watched the critically acclaimed movie "Up In The Air" last night - and I'll be honest: I wasn't all that impressed.

Initially.

I can't get the movie out of my mind (which is a good indicator of a good movie) - and I've spent a lot of time thinking about what it has said about our work force. Without giving anything away: George Clooney's Company fires people. To sugar coat this for the terminated employee, they offer a silver lining: This can be an opportunity.

"Anybody who ever built an empire, or changed the world, sat where you are now", says Clooney's character. "And it's because they sat there that they were able to do it."

Of course, the goal for Clooney's character is to minimize the potential backlash from the terminated employee. They hand the former employee a folder... saying all the answers are right there.

Obviously, it takes more ahnd-holding than this. But I think the "empty offering of hope" in the movie can offer a lesson for the "real hope" recruiters can offer:

Many of your clients are coming off a traumatic experience, whether it's being let go, downsized, whatever. Either way, their confidence is low. As a recruiter - can you be the positive influence? Can you show them - genuinely - the silver lining of being terminated?

How will you take your clients by the hand, and show them this is an opportunity?

Follow this author's feed.