How To · Redeploy Talent
Practical, Personalised Support to Help Employee Career Transition
Outplacement is one of the most tangible and meaningful ways an organisation can demonstrate care and support for the people it is parting with.
Outplacement support may not be provided when an organisation is under particular financial constraints or duress. Even in the most challenging of circumstances, a modest budget can stretch a long way through the provision of group-based support. Other factors include:
Outplacement support is sometimes perceived as an avoidable cost in an already difficult financial situation rather than as an investment that protects the organisation's reputation, reduces legal risk and demonstrates the values it claims to hold. Organisations that take this view typically underestimate both the benefits of providing meaningful support and the costs of failing to do so.
Outplacement support that is not personalised to the individual's career stage, level, sector and specific transition challenges is rarely as effective as it could be.
Many outplacement programmes focus primarily on practical job related mechanics such as CV writing, LinkedIn profile development and interview techniques, without addressing wider emotional and psychological dimensions of career transition that can be significant barriers to progress. Individuals who may be struggling with the shock, loss or anxiety that redundancy can generate are rarely in the best position to benefit from practical job search training until those emotional dimensions have been adequately addressed and supported.
Outplacement support that is only offered after an individual has left the organisation misses the opportunity to provide guidance and emotional support during the consultation period itself, when individuals are often at their most anxious and most in need of practical reassurance about their future prospects and the steps they can take to manage their transition proactively.
Career transitions, particularly at senior level or in challenging labour markets, can take considerably longer than organisations or individuals anticipate.
Effective outplacement support is not just a matter of providing resources and information.
Senior and executive transitions can involve a different set of challenges.
Our individual outplacement support approach allows us to work with each person, understand their specific situation, needs, strengths and aspirations before designing a support process that is tailored to what they genuinely need.
Every individual we work with receives support that is tailored to their specific career stage, level, sector, strengths and transition goals.
We combine expertise in career coaching, behavioural assessment, psychometrics and people development to provide outplacement support that addresses both the practical and the personal dimensions of career transition with professional skill and care.
We recognise that career transition is a significant life event that can affect individuals at a personal level in different ways.
We provide outplacement support for individuals at every career level.
We build long-term relationships with the organisations and individuals we work with, through honest guidance, professional integrity and a commitment to outcomes that serve the long-term career interests and wellbeing of the people we support.
Thorough understanding of outplacement support across different sectors, cultures, organisations and seniority levels.
Outplacement support is normally a structured programme of practical and personal guidance provided to employees who are leaving an organisation in circumstances that are not of their own choosing. Typically as a result of redundancy or restructuring. It is designed to help individuals navigate their career transition effectively, from processing the emotional impact of departure and clarifying their career direction, through to developing their professional profile, building their job search strategy and securing a positive next step. Outplacement support is valuable for employees at every level and career stage, though specific content and approach should always be tailored to the individual's circumstances and needs.
The appropriate duration depends on the individual's career level, the complexity of their transition and the labour market conditions in their sector. Operational and junior roles may be well supported by programmes of one to three months. More senior and executive roles may benefit from three to six months of support. Organisations should resist the temptation to set outplacement programme durations on the basis of cost, as programmes that end before individuals have reached a positive outcome can provide limited value to either the individual or the organisation that invested in them.
No. While outplacement support has traditionally been associated with senior and executive transitions, it is equally valuable for employees at every level. Ranging from Apprentices, Graduates and Junior employees Through to Managers and Senior Executives. Often employees can have limited experience of job searching, have been with the same organisation for many years or who face particular challenges in the labour market can benefit significantly from some practical guidance, skills development and personal support during their transition. Providing outplacement support across all levels demonstrates a genuine and consistent commitment to the wellbeing of the organisation's people.
Yes. Effective outplacement support is not limited to helping individuals find a role similar to the one they may have left. It includes future career direction clarification, exploring strengths and the practical and personal guidance needed to support a deliberate career or life change, such as setting up a business or becoming self-employed, where that is the right direction for the individual. For many people, redundancy can provide both the impetus and the opportunity to make career choices more closely aligned with their values, strengths and aspirations, with outplacement support being a powerful enabler.
Whether you are looking to provide outplacement support as part of a redundancy process, seeking to improve the quality and personalisation of outplacement you currently offer, looking for specialist senior or executive transition support, or simply wanting to ensure that the people you are parting with leave with the dignity, confidence and practical support they deserve, White Cube Consulting can provide the practical, personalised and effective outplacement support your organisation and your people require.