What Makes A Good Outplacement Programme?
How to plan a good outplacement programme
Employers often ask me what makes a good outplacement programme. However, all too often they mean what makes a good outplacement programme without costing the earth. I always tell them about what I consider to be my outplacement fundamentals. These are the elements and considerations that will make an outplacement plan that is truly beneficial to the participants. They are also the ingredients that go into our own programmes here at The Redundancy Recovery Hub.
A good outplacement programme caters for all levels
Job-hunting has changed. For a start, over the past ten years we’ve had the explosion of LinkedIn. Next, there are a small number of job-sites that dominate the internet. Even before the pandemic, interviews were being taken online, at least for the initial stages. There will be people who have been through this and understand the landscape. There will also be participants who had their last interviews ten, twenty or even thirty years ago. They will have to navigate this whole new landscape. A good outplacement programme will both educate the beginners, as well as provide more sophisticated advice to those who are looking to hone their job-searching techniques.
It focuses on more than just the next job
For some people it will be all about the next job. However, another job isn’t the answer for many. In fact, under the current climate, that may be a difficult ask. That’s why redundancy caching needs to include career coaching. Many people will want to reassess their values and direction. A good outplacement programme also looks at starting a business, a portfolio career, freelancing, consulting, apprenticeships (which you can do at any age), going back into education, or retraining. It should also address the issue of retirement. I have had clients in their fifties who have been considering retiring and doing a little work on the side, whether that’s getting into property or a part-time job.
It should also be delivered by someone who knows, and has been through these things. At the very least, they should be able to hear from real people with their own stories – pros and cons – to share. This isn’t a time for reading off a slide.
There is a financial element
Money is a big stressor for many people after redundancy. Will they have enough to live on? How long will they be able to manage? When we are stressed it becomes harder to think straight, and anxieties around finances can easily spin out of control. Having some element of financial education that directly deals with your finances after redundancy provides visceral value to anyone facing starting over again.
Mental health isn’t skimmed over
Redundancy is a form of bereavement. You lose your job, your identity and a “family” in one fell swoop. Yet, there will still be those people who tell you to get out there and it will all be alright. Redundancy can trigger or exacerbate anxiety, depression and other mental conditions. Even those who are lucky enough not to be too impacted in this way, can find themselves feeling pessimistic and demotivated. A good outplacement programme will tackle mental health straight on, providing support and signposting if necessary.
There is ongoing personalised support
Three recorded workshops on how to write a CV, organise your job-hunting and best interview practice, do not make an outplacement programme. Although, I have come across organisations that seem to think so. Indeed, if these all happen too soon after the news, the participants may not even be in the right frame of mind to take the contents on board. Staggering the elements of the programme means that participants can access as they need it, and ask questions to tailor it to their situation. In our opinion, three months is a nice length of support.
The Redundancy Recovery Hub is a members’ club for people who have been made redundant. Employers can place their employees on the hub as their outplacement programme. Hub members get three months of bi-weekly coaching, plus access to motivational and practical workshops. The Redundancy Recovery Hub also provides bespoke outplacement co-created between the organisation and careers psychologist and coach Paula Gardner. Employers can sign their people up here.
