what is outplacement?

When you support an employee through the transition, you create an opportunity for positive feelings about your company. An employee’s departure from your company is a big part of their journey with you.

In the event of layoffs or being let go, you want to make sure the brand promise you made at hiring is present throughout the employee life cycle. The powerful resources of outplacement services contribute to the entire employee experience at your organization — for both those who are exiting and those who remain.

Remember, all the effort you’ve put into creating a positive employer brand can vanish with one poorly handled layoff.

> making layoffs without making headlines

When considering career options, candidates evaluate compensation packages, advancement opportunities and enterprise growth. They also consider your reputation. Organizations can’t afford to let their people walk out the door feeling dissatisfied. Doing layoffs right will go a long way toward ensuring your organization remains a top talent destination.

Offering outplacement services can also make remaining employees feel more at ease during times when anxiety is high, making them less likely to look for opportunities elsewhere. They understand and trust that you will take good care of them and they’ll be supported as needed. 

People today are increasingly discerning about their employers — and in our relationship economy, good employers consistently come out on top.

Your reputation is extraordinarily public in our digital world. People want to know how you treat your people, especially when times are tough. A quick online search will reveal how people really feel about you, and the press are quick to pick up stories when things go wrong.

The way you treat people when you let them go can result in brand ambassadors or vocal critics. The feel-good results of outplacement can increase the number of brand ambassadors who will carry on your good name long after they’ve left your organization.

> manage your digital employer brand during a layoff

Outplacement services help limit legal liability by reducing opportunities for negative backlash. While there is no magic bullet to prevent litigation that arises out of a reduction in force (RIF), organizations can limit their liability through careful planning, working with qualified legal counsel and other experts, and having all the appropriate documentation and processes in place.

> ethical layoffs: employee experience during RIF

Having a competitive severance package is an important part of the benefits that help impacted employees land on their feet after a layoff. More employees are receiving benefits, and tenure for eligibility has decreased at many organizations. The top reason for this increased focus on severance is that organizations want to improve the entire employee experience, which impacts morale and productivity as well as recruitment and retention.

Redeployment is a valuable business tool that can be used as an option before outplacement. Formal redeployment programs are becoming increasingly prevalent as organizations seek to help workers find new roles internally or adjust to changing business needs. Not surprisingly, the same programs used in outplacement can enhance redeployment programs, including resume writing and career coaching.

> employers embrace redeployment and retention initiatives