What is Outplacement?

Outplacement is a service for people who are soon-to-leave or have recently left their place of employment.  It covers a range of activities from executive career coaching, 1:1 meetings and workshops covering areas such as CV writing, networking, job search and interview practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why would I want to put money into this? The person who’s leaving is not my problem anymore.
That’s true. But you have to think about the impact the change or redundancies are having on your workforce – if you have people who will still work for the company, by providing support to those who are leaving then you will demonstrate your commitment to supporting your employees.  This can have a positive impact on the motivation of those staying and those leaving: The companies we have supported have had increased productivity and motivation during the consultation period.  Giving support also has a positive impact on your external reputation and brand within the market place.

Can I do anything to support those left behind as well?
Of course you can: You can offer them workshops or 1:1 sessions to help them deal with the practical and emotional aspects of having fewer people in the company. Your company will have a different dynamic after making such changes. Getting everyone who is left on board is vital for your business to thrive in difficult economic climates.

What if everyone is going? Isn’t it a waste of money?
Basic outplacement can be given for a reasonable cost per head or you can choose to have a dedicated service which we provide on-site that handles all outplacement logistics for you.  Offering people an engaging service that will help them deal with the changes in their lives as well as engage the local community to minimise the impact of the sudden influx of potential employees will not only give you a feel good factor but also a major boost for your business credibility.

Do I have a legal commitment to provide this kind of support, then?
No. You don’t have a legal obligation, but arguably a business and ethical one – not only to your staff but to the local economy and business community.

Where does outplacement fit with the legal aspects of managing a redundancy situation?
We tend to begin outplacement as the consultation process begins or when a person has already left.  If a person has left then we need to have made contact with them (through you) whilst they are still employed for data protection reasons.

Wouldn’t it mean a lot more work for me?
That depends on how many people are made redundant or moved – the more you need to support the harder it is to coordinate the activities. However, this is where an on-site dedicated centre is a useful thing to have – we will manage the whole process from beginning to end, ensuring people are informed of the programme and their requests are met, scheduling in any additional resources needed to deliver workshops or 1:1 sessions and keeping you informed of how things are progressing.

Redundancies are a sensitive issue. I’m not sure involving a third party is a good idea.
That true. That said, our experience shows that a lot of the time, regardless of how good the working relationships are in an organisation, people losing their jobs will find it very hard to go and ask for help from the very people who have put them in that position. Having a third party that is closely linked with the organisation yet is clearly a different entity gives the leavers the opportunity to get impartial advice and have someone who is not linked to the redundancies help them plan for their future.

So what are they going to get from an outplacement service?

We usually recommend a mixture of 1:1 sessions and practical workshops on topics such as CV writing, interview skills, setting up your own business and retirement planning. We found that a ‘sandwich’ model works best – workshops with 1:1 sessions on either side of them. These, though, do depend on your situation and we offer a free, no commitment one day assessment to give you an idea of what your workforce might need.

There is also a lot of emotional support – building up confidence, building up and maintaining motivation, action planning and giving people back a sense of control over their lives which they often lose when they are made redundant. We also help with up-skilling, accessing funding and brushing up on computer skills.

How will it impact motivation and performance levels?
An outplacement service can be a huge boost to your performance and the motivation of your staff – when people are reassured and know they have a plan for their future they are not side-tracked from what they need to achieve for the next few weeks or months. That reassurance comes from the outplacement service as well as the essential motivation that will help you make the most of your team during a trying time.

Will my senior management get a different package?
Senior management solutions usually include more career coaching sessions that are honed specifically at their profession and industry. They will have a personal marketing plan, will build a portfolio and learn how to get themselves head-hunted. We offer tools such as DISC™ profiling to help them understand their working behaviour and how to find organisation with a good cultural match for them.

This sounds expensive. How much will it cost me?
It varies because different needs call for different solutions. If you are making a small group redundant, we can offer packages from £490 per head that include both 1:1 sessions and workshops. If you want to support more than 40 people, our prices do change as – simply put – we do have a form of quantity discount in place.

I heard JobCentrePlus do it for free.
JobCentrePlus can come in and explain to your staff what will happen next in terms of benefits and the local job market. The information they provide is priceless, which is why we make sure to bring them in wherever we go. Sadly, they don’t have the resources to engage with the whole of your staff and give them the same level of support an outplacement service will: the dedicated outplacement service we provide will engage with 99% of your workforce and the outcomes are staggering as well: over 95% of our clients’ aspirations are achieved.

Is there funding available towards providing outplacement?
Yes there is up to £500 per day of outplacement service delivery. We are able to access due to two major factors: we are a Matrix accredited organisation and we have an extensive network throughout the funding bodies that offer this type of support.

Why should I choose People Development Team?
Other than being very competitively priced and well networked to help you get funding, People Development Team has over 10 years experience of giving outplacement support in a variety of environments and have a pool of coaches and consultants that specialise in providing support, building confidence and maintaining motivation. We will give you a free, confidential consultation on your site, and can set up a dedicated centre on your site within 2 days of you calling us in.

Where do I start?
If you would like a free, confidential discussion about what you can do to support your staff, please contact us on 01920 485569.

 

What have your other clients said?

“They offered a first-rate service and we heard nothing but positive feedback from the employees who saw them.  PDT managed their resource centre and consultancy clinic opening hours to ensure that the lines kept running. They provided a useful, impartial sounding board for employees venting their feelings, and were also able to maintain perspective, having helped others go through similar exercises before. Their courses were practical, equipping employees with skills which will stay with them beyond their next job. It was gratifying to find that the vast majority were going on to another job, or had actively taken the decision not to.”

 

“PDT’s flexibility of approach was key in selecting them as our partner.”

 

“As well as looking after our people, as a local employer of long standing we were concerned on the affect on the local economy.  Outplacement enabled us to minimise the impact and support local employers who were looking for skilled staff.”