After years of economic downturn, redundancy has become part of our business tapestry. Now more than ever companies in all industries are faced with change; business and the world around it moves and companies need to adapt.

Outplacement, also often referred to as ‘career transition’, helps exiting employees by offering the necessary support for them to re-orient themselves in the job market.

Outplacement agreements may include different inputs and expectations, but they primarily include:

• Ensuring their mental health & resilience is strong
• Exploring career options
• Personal branding
• Networking skills
• CV Optimisation
• Interview skills and practice
• Overall job search strategies

There is also a provision of network resources and network opportunities that an outplacement company provides.

Selecting a company to provide effective outplacement services that deliver results can be challenging. It’s important to ensure that you’re getting value for money, you know where your money is going and which specific services will be included.

Strategic partnerships
How do you know if you are providing the right support for your employees? One option is to partner with an outplacement company to support you throughout the process, and consult with them on the different options that are most appropriate for your affected employees.

Getting the best advice around the communication of the change, logistics, manager training and how to support you and your company before, during and after the project is vital to your success.

Think about the support you need
Discuss with the outplacement company exactly what help and support you would like. Some companies are stronger in some areas than others e.g. some will focus mainly on providing a CV writing service, while others offer more of a career management service with a full career assessment and review as well as practical and personalized job search support.

Are the services tailored or ‘off the shelf’?
A good outplacement provider will meet with you and take the time to get to know your company and understand your timeframe, budget and the needs of your departing employees to provide a customized solution. Every company and situation is different so a tailored solution will achieve the best outcome for you and the impacted employees.

What is the depth of the service?
How much time will be spent on your employees? How much work will be completed on their behalf? Some companies don’t provide the tailored, in-depth type of service that is required to ensure efficient transitions to new positions that’s why you need to be clear on your expectations before you hire an outplacement company.

Decision-making
Make sure that you are crystal clear about the services that are being provided, the costs, the venue, any time limits or restrictions, what is included and what is not. This should be confirmed in a written contract or service level agreement.

Find out more about our Outplacement Programmes / Career Transition Services.