Outplacement Support Needs A Human Face
Posted on 12:13pm, 30th April 2010 • 3 Comments
You’ll provide an outplacement support programme for the shell-shocked human being facing you who’s just been told the company no longer needs her …What sort of help does she need; and how affordable will it be? These issues are at the heart of competing views on what’s the right way to deliver outplacement support services.
Our view is that individuals need individualised outplacement support (including emotional support) because each person struggles with different aspects of job search. People who’ve been with the same company for years need to learn modern job search techniques and develop the tools” (professional CV, etc) that go with them. Others know the theory but feel so fragile they can only apply it when prompted and supported by their redundancy counsellor. Yet others need a “critical friend” to drive up their performance to the level where they’ll get offers in an extremely competitive jobs market. Oddly enough, it usually costs the employer less to provide a few individualised one to one outplacement support sessions than to put redundant staff through group outplacement support programmes.
Ours is the “think, do and be upheld” approach to outplacement support. Each person practises one to one with us the job search skills they need, using their real job applications as their learning material They discover with coaching from us their own USPs (Unique Selling Points). We help them overcome the self-doubt and embarrassment (eg over networking) that would otherwise hamper their job search.
The New World of Outplacement argues outplacement support can now be largely automated and online. Specialised software can help with many of the key job search tasks – searching for vacancies, producing CVs and job search “project management” – says its author. Richard Alberg agrees people made redundant want human contact but suggests this should be for a cathartic discussion of their plight rather than for delivering practical help with their job search. The other role he sees for human beings in outplacement support is that of encouraging the less active job searchers to put more oomph into their hunt for work. This is a “paddle your own canoe – but we’ll provide the paddles” approach to outplacement support.
The Insala Outplacement Report 2010 gives the buyers’ perspective on which outplacement support services are most valued by purchasers and users. The 181 executives surveyed rated one to one coaching as the most valuable outplacement service on offer. Group workshops and networking groups were placed second and third in importance; online self-service outplacement support ranked fourth. The customers’ verdict then is that “outplacement support definitely needs a human face – but it should have an online capability as well”.
I do feel that in this day and age no-one is entitled to feel shell shocked in the event of losing their position. The truth is that very few jobs, even career positions carry any cast iron guarentees about the future. Common sense should dictate that household debt levels are kept to a minimum, and employees need to keep a weather eye on how their enviroment is progressing. During corporate mergers or takeovers mid management often comes out with statements about no changes in the short term, “It will be business as usual”. So it may be, but my advice would be to batten down the financial hatches and start looking at training courses and watching the want ads straight away. Again consultation with an employment agency is a wise move, sooner rather than later.
Bill • 4th July, 2010 at 2:02 pm
That’s how things really are. Thank you for the post.
Valium • 21st September, 2010 at 10:04 am
It’s only the lucky few who get outplacement support. It’s almost as if it’s a regional thing. If your employer’s from London or the South East then you might get outplacement support, if they’re based in Tyneside you almost certainly won’t. Doesn’t make sense.
Tora • 11th March, 2011 at 11:25 pm