What is Outplacement?

Outplacement services are provided to employees who have been laid off or who are going to be laid off. Employees may or may not be expecting the layoff, which can often be overwhelming to the employee. Employees may experience a wide range of emotions from anxiety to sadness to anger. In addition to losing a secure income, they may also be losing their community of peers, their usual routine, and their identity as a worker. Outplacement can be a service offered by employers to help their employees feel supported as they navigate the exit and to help with easing the transition.

Outplacement is often included in a severance package offered by the employer that may also include a continuation of pay and benefits for an extended period of time. This type of package is generally offered by employers to help employees with the transition out of the organization and into future employment. Employees may be looking to find the same role in a different organization, they may be looking to stay in the same role but switch industries, they may be looking to find a completely different type of role, they may be interested in entrepreneurship, or they may decide to retire. An outplacement service will help them decide what is the right move for them, and also provide the support needed to land a new job.

What Services Are Provided in Outplacement?

Outplacement organizations can provide a wide range of services. You can expect to find coaching for career fit, which allows employees to evaluate if they have been in the right role for them. If not, they will have the opportunity to explore minor or major career shifts, which could look like pivoting to a similar role but in a different industry, or it could look like making a bigger career change to something completely different that perhaps they would not have considered before working with a coach. Of course, some employees may want confirmation that they are in the right role and the process of career coaching will help them gain this clarity. Employees can also find support with creating a career strategy and an action plan, as well as have the benefit of someone helping them break things down into manageable chunks and to hold them accountable so they continue moving forward.

Outplacement services will often include support with job search, which may look like a coach identifying blind spots and helping the employee to optimize their job search strategies, or in some cases it may include job placement. Networking coaching to help an employee access the hidden job market is often included in outplacement services. Lastly, working on their professional brand, whether that be through a resume and LinkedIn profile, or whether it be through interviews, is an important area that outplacement services can assist an employee with. In some cases, outplacement clients may be placed into a pre-set curriculum or a group course, so it’s always advisable to find an outplacement service that offers customization and works one-on-one with the employee to meet their needs.

What Are the Benefits of Outplacement?

Having a strong and reputable brand is a great way for organizations to attract and retain top talent in their industry. By employing outplacement services to your exiting employees, you can keep a good reputation in your industry, so potential employees will be attracted to you. This will also increase loyalty from your remaining employees, who will view the organization as supportive and caring about employee well-being, which also improve job satisfaction. Offering outplacement services can save you big bucks in legal fees as well, as you are less likely to find yourself with a lawsuit for a wrongful dismissal. In fact, The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago published a study that noted up to $1.4 million could be saved in lawsuits just from 100 terminations. Considering that type of savings, outplacement services can be invaluable for the organization.

Organizations are not the only ones who benefit from using outplacement services. Employees that are being laid off will find value in the counselling they receive to help them navigate a stressful and uncertain period of their lives. It can be helpful to speak to a career professional who is familiar with the job landscape and up-to-date with labour market trends. As well, employees might use this opportunity to re-evaluate their career completely and may choose to explore other career options that could be a better fit for their interests, skills, and values. In addition to these benefits, employees can expect to find a new job quicker with the help of an outplacement career coach. Outplacement services often include support with job searching, networking, improving interviewing skills, and updating resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

As an Organization, What Can You Expect From Outplacement?

As an organization that cares about its employees, you want to make sure your employees are supported to have the smoothest transition possible as they exit from the company. Outplacement services can be tailored to the individual and offer a wide variety of options to help your exiting employee find the right job. They may receive individual coaching to help them determine their ideal career fit, support with their job search, networking tips, interview coaching including mock interviews, and resume packages by professional writers that could include LinkedIn overhauls and tailored cover letters. As an organization, you know that your exiting employee will be supported of and this shows your remaining employees that you are an organization that cares about its employees. You can expect to work with an outplacement service to find the right package to offer your employee, which can be tailored to budget and career stage. It is always a good idea to look at reviews or testimonials from previous clients to see how an outplacement service benefitted them, so you know what to expect for your employees.

What Types of Support Will Be Given to My Employees?

Your employee will receive individualized coaching to address any areas of concern and will receive support in determining the right career fit for them and help with landing a new job. Outplacement can come at a very stressful and unstable time for individuals, and you can be sure they will receive personalized career counselling and appropriate tools to support them through this challenging period. A career coach can help them discover what type of career aligns with their passions and values, provide appropriate tools and resources, support them with creating and executing an action plan, help them optimize their job search strategies for what may be a new market requiring different tactics, coach them to improve their interviewing skills, support them with creating and refining their brand, and provide support with a resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile.

Employees working with Careers By Design will have the added benefit of using our head-and-heart approach. Along with all the traditional aspects of career coaching, we utilize a collection of evidence-based mindfulness techniques in a program called HeartMath, which is backed up by decades of research and used by organizations like NASA and United Nations. Individuals who complete the HeartMath program, which is included in outplacement programs at Careers By Design, will have the opportunity to build emotional resiliency to help them navigate this crucial stage with ease. They will reap the benefits of this practice, like gaining clarity, building confidence, improving productivity, and managing stress and anxiety better. Connecting head-and-heart allows these employees to get crystal clear on their values and their passions, helps them gain clarity as they move forward in their chosen direction, helps them build confidence as they develop their professional brand and speak confidently about themselves in interviews, and encourages resiliency as they re-enter the job market.

The Careers By Design Approach to Outplacement

At Careers By Design, you can be sure that your exiting employees will receive a personalized program tailored to meet their needs, as well as support with managing stress and building resiliency as they move through a challenging period. You will receive professionalism from our caring team as they support your employee through their transition. Learn more about our outplacement services here:

https://www.dev.careersbydesign.ca/services/outplacement-services-toronto/