With the coronavirus crisis shutting down business operations across the county, CBS News reports that a surge in newly laid off workers is crashing states’ unemployment websites. Telling an employee they no longer have a place at your company is always difficult, but it is even more so when the people you have to lay off did nothing wrong.

Whether your organization is going through a layoff during this unprecedented time or considering the prospect of doing so in the not-too-distant future, now it is a good time to learn more about outplacement. More than just a great way to help protect employees, providing outplacement services is good for your overall business.

Are Layoffs Becoming the New Norm?

COVID-19 & Your Workforce: What You Need to Know

We certainly hope not. If layoffs are necessary in 2020, it is important to do the right thing. Done hastily or without consideration to the employees who will be affected, they can create even more problems and hurt your company’s long-term reputation. Providing the support your exiting employees need to manage this transitional period of their careers in the form of practical, effective outplacement services is one way to reduce costs while reducing legal risk, protecting your employer brand, and keeping your remaining employees as feeling as secure and motivated as possible.

What is Outplacement?

Outplacement is a service employers provide to displaced employees. These services typically include:

• Career coaching in things such as networking, interviewing and job searching
• Resume and personal branding services
• Emotional support and resiliency training for employees and managers
• Other resources to help employees land a new job as fast as possible

Leverage, Don’t Lament, a Multigenerational Workforce

Outplacement programs are typically provided through third-party outplacement firms, such as RAI Resources, to help in the career transition process. Such services can last between a few weeks and a few months, depending upon the industry and situation. These services are designed to help employees at every level, including senior executives.

Occasionally outplacement programs will begin while employees still work for the original company. This is done to reduce the amount of time between jobs, and to ease the transition overall. Other times, outplacement can work as a redeployment, which is when employees are coached to get new positions within a different area or department of the company going through layoffs in only part of the organization.

How Does Outplacement Benefit Employees?

Being laid off is a financial and emotional burden. It affects not just the employee being laid off but their family and community too. It can also impact the employees who aren’t laid off, because witnessing downsizing around them can make them anxious and emotional. For all of your workforce, outplacement can provide assistance during a difficult time.

Here’s how outplacement can benefit employees:

• Provides the impacted employees with meaningful assistance that they need, access to career technology, counseling and other tools to help them transition into the next stage of their career
• Minimizes anxiety and stress for everyone, as both the impact and retained employees have access to support
• Allows participants to move more smoothly into a new role, with the help of career and job-search coaching
• Shortens how long the affected employee will be unemployed, which reduces their financial and emotional burdens

How Does Outplacement Benefit Your Company?

Who’s Watching Your Payroll?

Look after the well being of your employees during a layoff is the right thing to do. It’s also a good business move. Employees, past and present, often play a key role in how the public perceives your company and the workplace environment. Giving them the support they need to smoothly transition into another job is an opportunity for your company to have a positive connection to an employee, even after they leave the company.

Here’s how outplacement benefits your company:

• It protects the employer brand, showing past and present employees that you’ve got their best interests at heart
• It impacts future hiring, as it encourages past employees to refer your company and positively influences the chances of rehiring in the future
• Boosts the company’s reputation, which helps to improve relationships with customers and partners
• Influences retention and productivity, because current employees and managers who see how well you treat impacted employees
• Helps minimize legal liability of the company by reducing opportunities for misinterpretations and negative backlash
• Reduces unemployment tax burdens by reducing how long it takes for old employees to get a new job

What to Look for In an Outplacement Provider

Outplacement specialists who have a proven track record of success are essential for a program to work.  At RAI, we custom create successful outplacement programs to meet your needs. This can include:

• NEW: Live interactive remote workshops conducted by our experienced career consultants, for groups or in one-on-one settings
• One-on-one sessions with personal transition coaches with experience in relevant industries
• Professional resume writers who will help write specialized resumes for individuals, along with cover letters
• Career coaches to help locate targeted jobs, contracts, and event opportunities from every corner of the internet and deliver them to individual participants
• Transparency, accountability, and guidance, allowing you to make the very best decisions and stay focused on running your business

Learn more about how outplacement can benefit you and your organization. We pride ourselves on creating effective, custom human resources solutions for your business. Contact us today to discuss your needs. We are here to help.