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Outplacement services provide assistance to laid off employees to help them finding new employment. Services can include initial counselling sessions, resume reviews, job search advice, interview training, personalised coaching, and career assessments.

A better way of letting stuff go

Outplacement provides a focus for employees who are shell-shocked by being delivered the news that they are being laid off. Even if the staff have been aware that redundancies were looming, the finality of that last day and the uncertainty of their future can be a major stress to an individual’s psyche. Offering them some support and services of an outplacement provider can give them a sense of focus and a possible lifeline in their sea of uncertainty.

Giving laid of staff hope and helping them with the transition to their next job

Outplacement services give some feeling of empowerment to the laid-off employees and enables them to focus on the next stage in their professional lives. Using a third party for these services gives employees an immediate platform to air their anger, fear and disappointment. Thereafter it helps provide the tools to arm them in strong position to face the job market and typically helps them identify a job sooner than if outplacement was not provided.

Coaching to get back in the job market

Outplacement coaching is invaluable, especially for people who have been out of the job market for a while. If you’re in the position of laying off long time employees, it’s more than likely that they have not applied for a job or prepared a resume for a long time, plus they’re not up on the latest job search trends and they don’t know the power of social media forums such as LinkedIn.

Outplacement can speed up the job search process and good outplacement also supports those with more difficult transitions. It’s vital to support those individuals with more challenging searches and this is where longer duration outplacement plans are a great thing.

Benefits & incentives for laid of staff

A big incentive for the employee is that this service is at no cost to them. When people lose their jobs, reduced income is an initial main concern. Fortunately, outplacement services are complimentary to employees as the employer pay for these services. Providing structure to the laid off employees is important. The immediate reaction from an employee is just to get their resume sent out. This is not the first action that should happen and not the smartest first step of a job search. Those that take the time to assess their career direction and create a robust job search process with focus are going to be in much stronger position in the job market.

Providing help with resume writing

If it’s been a while since your employees have been in the job market, outplacement coaches can help create a resume that highlight the appropriate skills in a modern, professional format and speak directly to the opportunities out there.

Preparing for interviews

Interviewing for a new job can be nerve-racking. Outplacement coaches help people prepare for an interview and be prepared for tackling difficult questions that they may be presented with. They can even provide guidance on presentation skills including attire that should be worn at an interview and body language during an interview helping to prepare them to ‘stand out’ from the rest.

Assessing career path and possible change of direction

Ironically losing a job might be the catalyst for career change for some employees. If people want to change their career direction, outplacement services can help them assess their skills as well as help them learn more about their talents and passions so they can confidently choose the right career path.

Benefits for employers that provide Outplacement

Finally, an important factor to consider is why outplacement is good for business? Laying employees off and offering no help can have major ramifications for an employer. Whilst the decision to lay people off may have been due to financial pressure, investing and offering outplacement services can be critical to maintaining a respected employer brand. By ensuring your departing staff are offered assistance substantially reduce the adverse impact on your social reputation. Disgruntled employees who are upset about a layoff don’t just complain to friends and family, they will be posting on social media, Facebook etc. and this can cause damage to your employer brand in the process. Treating your laid off employees with care and respect with right approach reduces reputation fallout significantly. It also sends out a strong message to those employees who remain. Seeing their colleagues laid off can cause a lot of anxiety and can make them wonder if they’re next? Knowing their colleagues got help finding new jobs does a lot to calm those fears. And it creates loyalty, too, when they see you doing right by their friends and colleagues.

Alecto Outplacement Services

Our goal is to provide individual and structured assistance to employees that are undergoing career transitioning or redundancy. 

Visit our Outplacement Services page to learn more about our Outplacement programs, their purpose and associated costs.