Why Should Companies Today Offer Outplacement Service?
"The economy is always cyclical," said Barbara Greene, Founder/CEO of Greene and Associates, a Career Partners International (CPI) firm in San Antonio, Texas. "It will turn around. And when it does, you may want those employees back. The better they are treated now, the more likely they will come back when you need them."
Another factor: You want to keep the employees you have. "Survivors, those who remain with the company, watch to see how their colleagues are treated," said Bill Torchiana, Co-Founder/President of Torchiana Mastrov & Sapiro, a CPI firm in San Francisco. "If the perception is negative, that will likely impact their view of the company and in turn their productivity. Now, more than ever, you need your employees focused, dedicated and productive."
Those displaced employees are also consumers. Instead of creating hundreds of new brand loyalists for your biggest competitor, you can keep these dedicated brand spokespeople on your side of the aisle.
Offering outplacement services also keeps the displaced employees focused on the future. "When they are talking to career consultants, they are generally not talking to lawyers," said Greene. "The cost of outplacement services is much smaller than the cost of a lawsuit."
Partnering Your Employees with the Outplacement Services
Beyond offering outplacement services, it is also important for companies to partner their displaced employees with the right firm and to encourage them to take full advantage of the available expertise. "Employees don't make a career of changing jobs, and are usually ill-prepared and uncomfortable in the process," said Torchiana. "In the difficult job markets we are experiencing now, job seekers need all the assistance and support that they can get."
"It’s to a company’s great advantage when employees use the service as fully as possible," said Greene. "Companies should do their best to work with an outplacement firm that offers high touch with high tech, and with a broad network of resources."
For example, by partnering with a firm that has offices across the country—international offices where needed—blended with local expertise, a company will meet the needs of employees who want to remain in the area, those who are open to relocating, and those who want to find the best opportunity possible regardless of location.
"A career consultant with demonstrated experience and success can be an invaluable guide in getting through the process and to the desired outcome: career success in a new organization and beyond,’’ said Torchiana.
Why Use Outplacement Service to Its Fullest Potential?
When outplacement services are offered but declined, the company receives little positive benefit simply from making the offer. According to Torchiana, "When an employee declines help, often it is because of the anger they feel toward the company. ‘They let me go. I don’t need their help.’ When they feel this way, they are not moving forward—and they are not going to be focused on finding a new job."
The biggest hurdle in any job search is getting in the door to meet prospective employers. "Good career consultants are entrenched in their communities and make meaningful introductions," said Greene. "Without these introductions, the job-search process can be long, lonely and painful."
Also, for employees in declining industries, outplacement services can help employees re-evaluate their career direction and steer them into new and fulfilling jobs. Even for displaced employees who think they want to start their own business, outplacement services can offer invaluable connections, personality and skill assessments, and support.