Perhaps you have come to the inevitable conclusion that, as a company, you must lay off some of your employees. It could be a result of downsizing, redundancy or a merger. Or maybe you would like to have a contingency plan ready in case any of the above scenarios happen in the future.

Hiring outplacement services provider might be a good idea but, not surprisingly, the first question that comes to your mind is – how much does outplacement cost?

Outplacement pricing is based on the number of individuals who require services as well as which components the chosen program includes.

Outplacement costs depend on several factors such as:

• Service: What kind of service will your ex-employees be getting? Does the outplacement company offer one-on-one or group consultations? Will your employees get tailor-made programmes and personalized service that will land them a new job faster?
• Experience: How much experience does the outplacement services company have? Do they have experienced staff trained to offer outplacement counselling even if the employee is highly emotional? Can they handle executive level clients?
• Terms: Are there term limits to the contract by the end of which services are terminated? Or do your workers get support until they get another job?
• Technology: Does the firm leverage technology to bring solutions to your employees no matter where they are? What is the outplacement company’s reputation? What do other people say about them?

Testimonials: This is an example of what you should look for as a testimonial:
Executive Connexions has provided outplacement services for several of our employees. We found the team to be very helpful and adaptable in their approach which they tailored to the changing circumstances facing those leaving the business. They helped all of our employees to focus on the task of finding a new role, and have had a 100% success rate which is very satisfying for everyone.
Darty PLC, Outplacement Client

So is outplacement worth it? Outplacement offers a healthy solution to the uncertain economy of today. Showing care to outgoing employees will make a big difference. It will show the departing employees that the company, while having to make the hard decision to lay them off, made the right call in providing them with services to get their feet back on the ground.