A more compassionate approach to outplacement is just good business.
There’s tremendous debate going on today around layoffs, especially in the tech sector. Unfortunately, much of the discourse is centered around people being treated without compassion or respect. That feedback stands in stark contrast to an evolving post-COVID era where our overall workplace mentality is trending toward a more people-first approach.
At some point, every company will experience job losses. No matter the business reason, mass job losses can hurt your brand reputation. That’s even more likely when lost employees feel they’ve been treated unfairly and vent their frustrations on social platforms.
Successful companies have long recognized that people are their most valuable assets. Change and transition is never easy in the face of consolidation, downsizing, or mergers. But there’s great benefit to leading that outplacement with integrity, transparency, and compassion. Done right, you can ensure positive outcomes for both your former employees as well as your own employer brand reputation.
Yet, few organizations have the internal expertise or capacity on hand to effectively manage larger transitions. For many, the key to delivering a great exit experience is a great outplacement partner. Let’s examine a few ways that outplacement service can give your leaders and team members the support they need to move through change and thrive.
Protection for your employer brand.
At the outset of their employment, you invest in recruiting employees and maintaining a reputation that will continue to attract the best talent to your team. It also makes sense to invest in their departure. In fact, former employees deserve to be treated with the same respect and care as when you brought them on board. By taking a more high-touch, dedicated approach for outplacement, you can help to drive higher employee satisfaction and reduce your risk, while also promoting positive brand feedback.
The best outplacement services are participant-centered from start to finish. This not only reinforces a strong, people-focused culture, but has a big impact in turn on your external brand and reputation. It gives an appropriate place for exiting employees to vent any frustrations, while also helping them plan their next career steps with guidance from knowledgeable experts.
Taking this people-centric and personalized approach delivers the best outcomes for job offers received by participants at equal or greater compensation than their previous roles. Of course, that’s invaluable to easing their transition and improving their overall experience with your company.
Support for employee job searches.
Outplacement service providers are here to help your people navigate what’s next in their careers. The best career transition services are built on core components that support a successful job search, including new job search trends and social media tactics. For example, having comprehensive, mobile-friendly participant tools—accessible anytime, anywhere, on any device. Also, if you’re a global company, look for a partner that has global capabilities so you can support the transition in local markets.
Individual attention and insight.
You want your transitioning employees to receive the individual attention and the support they need to move forward. Dedicated career coaches should be part of the outplacement services because it allows for all participants to get a personalized orientation, career assessment, research, and networking, with a targeted search strategy and execution. Coaches can further assist them as needed with interview practice and feedback, or evaluating and negotiating job offers.
Transformation can be tough, so be sure to mitigate your risk. Investing in a truly compassionate outplacement service provider will help to ensure that, despite the difficulty involved in layoffs, you’re prepared to succeed today, tomorrow, and into the future. At The Ayers Group, we’re dedicated to a giving former employees the same courtesy and respect as they enjoyed when they came on board.