Outplacement support - can't AI do it for me know?

Another week, another news article about the advances in AI and programmes like ChatGPT. From being temporarily banned in Italy and discussions on the place of AI in university assignments, to the ‘Godfather’ of AI warning of its dangers - it’s a hot global topic that is showing no signs of going away quickly or quietly anytime soon.

We know the future of work is going to be heavily influenced by AI and its potential to make roles more efficient or automated, thus freeing up people to work on other things or in new ways. Personally, as a career coach, I think it’s very important to be aware of the possibilities of AI and what it could bring to the world of recruitment. I am a big fan of ChatGPT and what it has to offer; I even regularly use it with my outplacement and career coaching clients in a variety of ways. So, if I’m saying this as an outplacement expert, you may be thinking:

“Given all that we know AI can do for us, do I still really need to invest in outplacement support for my leavers?”

Of course, I have an obvious bias in answering yes to this question, but let’s first look at what AI can simplify for your leavers when seeking alternative employment.

AI can help your people to:

Summarise a role

One of the most important things any job seeker should be doing is submitting tailored CVs and cover letters when responding to advertised roles. To do this, you need to really understand what a role is looking for and ChatGPT can help to summarise the key points of a job description. I have used this with candidates to save them time by unpicking particularly complex or overly ‘wordy’ profiles, and also to help neurodiverse applicants understand something from a different perspective.

Research a company and their systems and metrics

Company background research is key to a successful job application and ChatGPT can be useful in helping uncover the systems, programmes or applications used in an organisation. You can then either talk about your own relevant experience or find out more about them, so you can talk with authority on how you would approach them. I have also used ChatGPT with candidates to research metrics or KPIs that they have been asked to present in a new context, to either validate their initial ideas or to work out the best way of tackling the problem.

Create a draft response

One of the hardest things about a job search is staring at a blank sheet of paper; experiencing writer’s block when you’re trying to create a killer CV or cover letter can be very anxiety-inducing. ChatGPT can help to create a template cover letter or personal profile based on the information you provide and refine it based on your feedback, getting you past the blank page hurdle.

Edit content

Have you ever written a great response in an application form, only to find that it’s too long? Or you can feel yourself waffling in your cover letter? ChatGPT can also be useful to help you edit and refine your own work.

"This all sounds great, but what can’t it do?"

I’m going to let some of our previous outplacement candidates answer this for me. The following quotes are taken from feedback people have provided after using our Connor Consultancy outplacement support.

AI cannot help your people to:

“I was really down when I was made redundant and had lost confidence in myself. Having my outplacement coach there really helped me through it. She was great at listening to me and made me feel much more positive during a very difficult time.”

Navigate change

“After 14 years in the same company, I had no idea where to start or really what I wanted. My coach was the perfect pairing. She listened, gave great advice, encouragement and praise, and gave me the tools to make getting a job so much easier. It has truly been a great pleasure.”

Show empathy and use humour

“My coach was so friendly and helpful. She couldn’t have done any more to help me. It felt I had someone by my side to guide me through and that was really important.”

“My coach’s relaxed and fun consultative style gently pushed me to expand my thinking and horizons which made a huge difference; combined with obvious depth of knowledge and experience.”

Bolster resilience

“My coach played a big role in keeping me positive during my job search, particularly during the weeks when the job market was quiet. I always came away from our meetings feeling motivated.”

Stand out from the crowd

“I believe that the coaching that I received led me to be successful in all of my applications for jobs. I ended up receiving three offers which I never believed was possible. My coach also helped me work out which offer was the best match for what I wanted to do. I am so grateful.”

People need that human element​​

Being made redundant is hard - it can be a huge shock and very stressful, particularly when living costs are spiralling. For many of us, our identity is also wrapped up in our work, so having that taken away can leave a big void and really knock our confidence.

Whilst AI will undoubtedly help your people by taking away some of the legwork and pain of applications, it’s still only one tool to help and not the answer to the whole piece. AI isn’t able to coach, listen, understand and coach in the way a real-life human can, and this is such an important element of effective outplacement support. Will AI ever get to a stage where it can imitate these things? Only time will tell, but for now it’s still so important for businesses to provide support to their leavers and commit to alleviating the stress of redundancy and finding a new job.