Even the most experienced HR professionals admit that layoffs are the most stressful part of their job. A way to relieve negative emotions on both sides of the barricade can be outplacement. In the world of the new normal, more and more companies are opting for remote outplacement. Does it give the same results as the traditional one?

What is outplacement? In short: it is the process of supporting a dismissed employee in their search for a new job. Its scope depends on the internal policy of the company, it may concern one or a group of dismissed. Sometimes it includes only counseling, but often means active support (working with a coach, psychologist, networking, giving recommendations). The benefits of such a process are not one-sided.  

Nowadays, outplacement is becoming an important employer branding tool. This is a clear signal that the company cares about its employees and acts in accordance with the proclaimed values and principles of CSR (corporate social responsibility). After all, this message goes not only to the dismissed people, but also to potential candidates, clients and employees who remain in the organization. In the case of the latter, outplacement effectively reduces dissatisfaction and fear of further dismissals. In psychology, a set of such symptoms has been called survivor syndrome. Lack of actions aimed at reducing its negative effects may lead to a loss of trust and reluctance to the employer, and as a result, a decrease in involvement, further dismissals and financial losses. It is worth knowing how to avoid this, especially since the worst crisis may still be ahead of us.

Instability. This is probably the shortest way to sum up the situation on the labor market. The number of offers is falling, and employers are changing the requirements for employees, expecting not only effective remote work, but also greater flexibility in terms of the form of employment and fuller use of their competences. But this may not be enough. Companies are preparing for redundancies, although the latest research (data from August 2020) shows that during the pandemic they affected only 4% of the surveyed enterprises. Most employers declare that this will be a last resort. However, the situation is very dynamic, and experts emphasize that the crisis is still coming. Companies must therefore prepare for the worst-case scenario by developing internal procedures to support employees in a job change crisis.

HR departments that are responsible for outplacement do not have an easy task in times of pandemic and remote work. Most processes should be adapted to the new normal and take into account exceptional situations that are difficult to predict. So let’s have a solution up your sleeve that you can use at any time.  This solution is remote outplacement, available through an employee platform – comprehensive, tailored to the needs of the organization and carried out online. Employees have access to it in all circumstances. The use of e-learning in difficult moments of reorganization gives a sense of security on all levels.

The ability to conduct HR processes remotely is the main advantage of remote ouplacement. Especially that its thematic scope may be similar or even greater than outplacement carried out in a traditional way. It is not limited by the budget and specific time frame – the employee can choose from a long list of topics and devote any amount of time to the selected issue. Besides, it is available immediately – without weeks or even days of delay. And this is extremely important in a crisis situation. Of course, not having direct contact with a consultant or career coach can be a challenge, although most e-learning courses are interactive and engaging.

One of the main advantages of remote outplacement is a very wide range of topics, including psychological and advisory support at every stage of accepting the change. The employee can take advantage of the program, which includes, among others:

• Self-management in change – e.g.  How to deal with emotions or how to explain to other colleagues the reasons for leaving the company?
• How to plan a new budget, taking into account the transition period without work?
• Creating a list of competences and skills and tips on how to use them in the job search process.
• Evaluate your career and plan for the future.
• How to prepare a CV and cover letters?
• Through what channels and how to look for a new job?
• How to prepare for a job interview?

It is worth emphasizing that this is not just a knowledge pill that can be found on many industry portals. These are very specific development tools, in-depth and comprehensive, prepared by experts in their field, supported by many years of experience. 

Will traditional outplacement become a thing of the past? Probably not, although security issues related to limiting direct contact will not disappear for the next months or even years. Such outplacement has many advantages: from the possibility of free exchange of thoughts and information between participants, to the possibility of individualizing the process. However, its cost is high, so it covers only selected managers, usually senior level. Such selectivity does not have a positive effect on the morale of other employees. The effects of negligence in this area can be painful, because they are the biggest driving force of the organization. If redundancies are unavoidable, it’s worth ensuring consistency in your message to your employees: yes, we reduce costs, but we care about the future of all our employees.

The decision to implement remote or traditional outplacement in an organization should be a strategic, well-thought-out and properly communicated decision. In this way, it will serve not only employees parting with the organization, but the entire company. Remote solutions have a number of advantages, among which security is the leader. But they are also perfectly planned and prepared tools that give a huge dose of knowledge, motivate and encourage to take responsibility for the process of looking for a job by the employee. And they effectively eliminate the negative effects of redundancies.Source: https://hcmdeck.com/blog/outplacement-zdalny-vs-tradycyjny/