The organisational benefit of outplacement

As a career coach, I come across many different kinds of organisations who have a variety of different programs in place to support their employees. From onboarding to offboarding and outplacement, different organisations have different approaches to this kind of support. Outplacement, in particular, is often overlooked. Not every organisation has an outplacement program and those that do, don’t always support all their departing employees.

What is outplacement? 

Outplacement programs are focused on helping employees find new employment after leaving their job. Most often it is provided to employees when they are facing redundancy but it is a useful tool that employers can use, no matter the reason they need to farewell an employee. 

While outplacement’s core purpose is to help individuals regain employment as quickly as possible, it also has plenty of, sometimes overlooked, benefits for organisations too. 

1. Position yourself as an employer of choice – employees want to know they’ll be taken care of. It’s not always possible to stay at an organisation for an extended period of time. There are plenty of external factors that mean moving onto a new opportunity is always possible.
   
   When looking for employment, plenty of individuals look to see how they will be supported, not just while employed, but once they leave your organisation. Providing outplacement is a surefire way to show all employees that they are valued and important and it can attract new talent that you want on your team.
2. Provide assurance for surviving employees – The way you are perceived by your current employees is just as important as the way you are perceived by those who are leaving your organisation. Providing a thorough outplacement program means that your current employees can have peace of mind that even if things don’t go to plan, they will be supported and treated with respect.
   
   Providing this assurance will help current employees to see your organisation in a positive light and, while they may not be shouting praises from the rooftops, they won’t be spreading negativity via word of mouth either.
3. Manage your reputation – attempting the offboarding process without an outplacement program of any kind can leave exiting employees feeling unsupported and adrift. This is particularly the case when it comes to redundancy. Redundancy isn’t always avoidable but not providing support can lead individuals to feel negative and more inclined to share their negative experiences with their friends, family and online platforms.
   
   Providing outplacement can help to mitigate this risk and even foster an environment where employees feel comfortable with the idea of returning to your organisation as a boomerang employee later down the track. 

There are many organisations that do not see outplacement – or offboarding – programs as a priority. While it’s true that it’s not compulsory to provide these services, it’s clear that without them, organisations run the risk of damaging their own reputation.

The solution? Choose an outplacement service that works for you. 

Anecdotally, we see that most larger sized employers offer outplacement programs, but not mid, smaller or growing organisations. It’s important to remember that outplacement can be affordable no matter what size organisation you are or how many employees you are supporting. 

Typically Career365 provides a comprehensive outplacement service that includes career coaching alongside course content across eight modules that help employees to feel prepared for what comes next after they leave your organisation.

Too often, I see organisations without outplacement programs and those that do offer it don’t always offer it to all their departing employees. This is frustrating to see, especially when the benefits of outplacement – for employees and employers alike – are clear. Many times, outplacement is provided to those in middle or senior roles but in today’s landscape, anyone can impact the reputation of an employer online, regardless of their seniority. 

I am a big believer that, when it comes to outplacement, something is better than nothing and affordability shouldn’t get in the way of organisations providing outplacement to employees. That’s why I’m now offering a new outplacement program ‘ReNEW’. The program offers up the course modules as a stand alone service. Our modules have been proven to have helped over one thousand people from graduate to executive levels by giving them the support they need to manage their changing circumstances, move forward and prepare themselves to restart their careers.