Employee wellbeing is a key factor for any organisation that wants to attract and retain talent, is serious about their employee value proposition (EVP) and keen to foster a positive culture. Looking after employee wellbeing also has a proven impact on an organisation’s bottom line, improving productivity and supporting employees to provide a better experience to your customers.
But how far does your organisation’s wellbeing strategy go? And does it really make a difference to people when times are tough? In this article, outplacement specialist Rhiannon Rowley delves into what outplacement is and why no employee wellbeing strategy is complete without it.
Support your people when they need it most
If you truly care about the wellbeing of your people, you need to reassure them that you are there for them in the bad times as well as the good. It’s all well and good looking after your people throughout their employment but supporting those being made redundant really shows you’re exercising your duty of care and offering crucial guidance when your people need it most.
What is outplacement?
Outplacement is practical support for individuals leaving an organisation, typically via redundancy or settlement agreement. It is proven to help leavers move on faster and with more confidence, taking away the fear of the unknown and helping them to perform at their best whilst reducing the disruption to your business.
A comprehensive outplacement programme will include:
- Practical skills, including how to create a stand-out CV and LinkedIn profile, how to uncover and apply for opportunities, interview preparation and practice, and salary negotiation
- Career advice, supporting people to explore different career paths, discussing pros and cons of potential opportunities, sharing job market insights, and supporting individuals to build and leverage their own personal network
- Professional coaching, helping people work out what they want to go to next, set realistic goals, and build both confidence and resilience
Find out more in our comprehensive guide, Outplacement Explained.
How outplacement support benefits your organisation
By providing outplacement support to your departing employees, you can demonstrate that you care about their future and that you are committed to their wellbeing, even after they leave your organisation. As well as being the right thing to do by your people, this can:
- Enhance your reputation as a responsible and compassionate employer
- Help you attract and retain top talent
- Reduce cost and risk associated with redundancies
- Improve customer loyalty and public image
Furthermore, it's not just those leaving that can be impacted by redundancy and restructure. Employees who retain their jobs but see their colleagues and friends being impacted can also feel unsettled and lose productivity, sometimes choosing to leave too at a time when you desperately need to retain them. By providing outplacement support to your leavers, those left behind see their friends and colleagues being looked after in the best way and receiving help to move on positively, minimising disruption and impact on day-to-day business.
Make outplacement a non-taboo topic at work
From a broader wellbeing strategy perspective, while it seems counterintuitive, the best time to talk about outplacement can be when you are attracting people to your organisation. People understand that business life can be unpredictable and sometimes situations arise when we least expect them that can result in an unexpected business restructure.
Letting your people know right from the start that, if this does happen, they will be looked after with comprehensive, professional outplacement support can help reduce that ultimate fear in business and shows that you really mean it when you say you care about employee wellbeing.
To find out more about how we can help you, visit our outplacement services.