How outplacement can help you retain talent

You might think that outplacement is only relevant to employees who are being made redundant or thinking about leaving but, in this article, Fraser from our HR team at Connor Consultancy (an NFP company) shares a different perspective.

The knock-on effect

Due to the complexity of relationships within any company, the knock-on effect of employees who don’t feel supported enough when being made redundant can be immense. Say that maybe 5% of 500 people in the office are losing their jobs - 25 people. It might not sound like a lot, but each of those people will probably have a number of friends at work who will care about them and take an interest in their situation. If those fateful 25 feel unloved and ignored, this will likely be shared and could affect how others in your workforce view you as their employer.

Survivor guilt

For many of us, belonging to a ‘work family’ is an important aspect of a role – and when our brothers or sisters are suffering, we can’t help but lose motivation. It might even prompt us to start looking for a new job ourselves – in fact, statistics show that up to one third of your workforce that still have jobs might be experiencing the feeling of guilt, as well as a lack of productivity, engagement and wellbeing as a result of having a job when others have been let go¹.

Why risk being the next in line to be ‘treated like dirt?’

When times get tougher, it is unlikely that top performers would look to jump ship into the unknown, but this source of negativity can easily be a trigger to make them and the wider community at least think about it. Companies desperately need to retain their top talent when times get hard, and I would strongly argue that creating a benevolent situation for those losing their jobs offers a significant boost to the wider employee population.

• For a start, they might feel less guilty about keeping their jobs and they might feel more able to participate in what is a process sanctioned by their employers. When an employer says to an employee who is under redundancy “okay, we want to help you find a new job” – it automatically shows everyone else that it is okay to pitch in and help too.
• When job hunting is not a taboo subject in the office, you can turn what is traditionally a negative situation into a positive journey of opportunity. It is our experience that when outplacement is a standard part of the employee experience, those who are leaving get as much help from their colleagues as they do from the outplacement provider.
• When you see the difference that outplacement makes to your colleagues, it allows you to sleep that little bit easier at night. Your employer won’t abandon you and, rather than obsess about the “what if,” you can get on with the job at hand.

With so many challenges being faced by businesses and employees at the moment, the last thing you want to worry about is also losing the experienced talent you are counting on to help pull you through these difficulties. By investing in your leavers, you could be more likely to retain those vital employees that can help to continue the smooth running of your business.