The unthinkable has happened: book your businesses facing redundancies and or cutbacks. Or perhaps a line of credit disappeared for sales or just down. Your HR department faces the difficult decision to lay off or furlough workers.
Many workers love their jobs or identify with the company at which they work. A layoff can come as a massive blow to their self-esteem, their willingness to work, and their personal well-being. Transitioning from dismissal to a new job is challenging. Outplacement services can be a boon to HR departments while simultaneously taking care of the displaced employee. Here are a few ways outplacement can help:
An organized job search hub
Layoffs and downsizing often lead to negative sentiment among current employees and result in negative online feedback on Glassdoor or LinkedIn. New applicants might be less likely to apply, and current employees suffer the loss of knowledge, colleagues, and an increased workload. The former employees themselves face uncertainty and disillusion at the loss of established careers. It’s vital to take care of their future too. Offering outplacement as part of their severance package is a step in the right direction. One significant pain point for former employees is navigating the often bumpy road of finding new employment. It’s a disorganized, frustrating process. Fortunately, outplacement can provide a single hub to organize all aspects of the job search, from resumes to interview prep. The applicant doesn’t even have to leave their home, as much of the interaction can be done via email, chat, or phone calls. Providing this invaluable service gives employees peace of mind while safeguarding your company’s reputation. It demonstrates the company cares about the employee’s welfare—not just its own bottom line. Simplifying the transition by putting all the tools one needs in a single place is the first step in the right direction.
Professional coaching
Without the aid of an outplacement service, finding a new job after a layoff can take anywhere from three to six months (or longer). The search duration is untenable for most, and the goal of an outplacement service is to help a displaced employee find a new job as fast as possible. Through the use of a transition coach, former employees receive targeted coaching on interviewing, preparation, and transitioning into a new job quickly.
Leveraging online tools
An outplacement service like Randstad Risesmart uses online tools to organize an applicant’s job search in a single place, reducing stress and enabling applicants to excel at their search. Tools such as branding documents, contacts, messaging, targets, and goals are made available to help with the job search. Risesmart has a service called “smart match” that helps streamline job searches as well. All of these combined typically help applicants get a new job 63% faster than other outplacement options or doing things the old fashioned way. On the employer side, HR managers can track how well the former employee’s job search is going and monitor their actions/use of the service in real-time.
Customized resumes
Resumes are tricky to navigate sometimes and challenging to polish during a job hunt. It’s hard to tell what a given potential employer is looking for on the resume. If your applicant has extensive experience, it may need to be tailor-made to individual specifications. Further complicating matters, approximately 60% of companies today use the dreaded automated applicant system to parse applicants. To ensure your resume gets through such a system or has a fighting chance when a hiring manager sees it, outplacement services will help you customize your resume. The resume coach writes it to play to your strengths and tailors it to your industry. That way, when an actual hiring manager gets the opportunity to see it, applicants are more likely to get an interview and land a new job.
Targeted networking and job access
Outplacement excels at providing access to suitable jobs an applicant would otherwise have trouble finding through conventional means. Instead of combing job boards or corporate websites for new roles, your job coach can point you in the right direction for niche positions. The outplacement service’s online components will compile a list of job opportunities tailored to the applicant. In this manner, finding a new role from a pool of available options is as easy as making a selection and sending out a resume. Outplacement provides another critical service: teaching applicants how to network. Networking doesn’t merely open new opportunities; it helps build trust and camaraderie between you and your possible new employer. Phone and email scripts help applicants learn how to have dynamic, useful conversations with potential employers that may eventually lead to a promising new position in the future. Using an outplacement service for former employees isn’t just practical—it’s essential in the modern workplace.
