Risks of Outplacement Counseling

The outplacement counseling is the value added process, which modern HR Management has to offer. The company has good times of the rapid growth, but it has to be ready for the rainy days, when the downsizing and the adjustment of skill sets is needed. The outplacement is the service for departing employees helping them find a new challenging job. The outplacement is the process, which increases the opportunity to find a new job quickly and with the assistance of the current employer. However, the outplacement has its risks.

The company usually decides about the downsizing in business units and it offers the outplacement counseling to departing employees. The organization needs to make sure that departing employees do not demotivate all employees and they have the support from the organization in their first steps on the job market. The organization has to set clear expectations of departing employees. It is the most dangerous risk of the outplacement service.

Employees have to understand that the outplacement is just a support for them. The organization makes no promise to find a new job. It is still the responsibility of the departing employees. The company offers a help, it does not deliver the promise to find a new job. The employee has to stay active and cooperate with the outplacement vendor. The employee has to proactively contact the outplacement consultant and has to keep in touch. The consultant will support the employee, if the employee will demonstrate the interest.

The organization has to be generous in the outplacement services ordered. The basic outplacement packages are cheap, but they disappoint departing employees. The basic package is usually about no personal contact with the departing employee. It is about the online outplacement training course and the support via email. The employee needs to speak to the consultant and needs to discuss the job opportunities in the area. The extended outplacement services are expensive, but the company needs to include the costs into the total downsizing costs. The organization has to be generous. It should not save on the outplacement support. It is the second biggest risk.

The outplacement services vendor has to be well recognized on the market. The outplacement service needs highly experienced and skilled consultants. The company should not select the company with no previous experience in outplacement. The vendor should deliver reports about the successful placement of departing employees from the past outplacement projects. The organization has to be careful during the selection of the vendor, as the employees will make a quick evaluation of the outplacement package. If they are disappointed, they will spread negative messages across the entire organization. The company has to choose the reputable outplacement vendor, which is able to provide the evidence of successful placements.

The organization needs to engage the departing employees. They have to understand the role of the outplacement consultant. The consultant will help employees in their job interviewing and will help them to prepare for job interviews. However, the employees have to be proactive. If they do not contact the outplacement consultant, the consultant will stay silent. It is the service, it is not a duty of the employee or the consultant. The organization has to communicate clearly the goals and services of the outplacement counseling. The employees will have to make the first contact and they will have to speak about their job interests. The consultant will be the facilitator of the meeting and will provide the required feedback, but the employee will have to contact the potential employer and will have to type the job resume. The consultant will make notes and give useful tips. The employee stays responsible for finding a job.