Even in A Hot Job Market…Career Transition Support is Important and so is Choosing the Right Partner
By Carolyn Raitt & Laura Poisson
Through times of organizational change, offering outplacement support can help companies retain talent, support employees, and manage separations in a way that aligns with their values and protects their brand. You may be thinking that, with the economy roaring back and the job market on fire, people will land quickly and therefore they don’t need help.
This is not the case.
It’s true that there are many jobs out there, but there is also more competition. People often take advantage of a hot market to advance their careers, and many are seeking new beginnings after the pandemic year.
Career transition support is about more than helping someone with the tactical aspects of finding a new job; it is also about dealing with the emotional impact of job loss, reflecting on skills, strengths and values becoming effective at networking and articulating their value proposition.
Choosing a vendor/partner that aligns with your values and can deliver on your expectations is important. If you are offering outplacement to help individuals make a smooth transition while minimizing the negative impact to the organization and remaining employees, the type of program you offer matters. Look for the following differentiators:
- Trusted advisors. Workplace separations are difficult and sensitive with lots of moving parts and often, last-minute changes. Your outplacement partner should be responsive, flexible and supportive of the HR staff and notifying managers to make sure they are prepared and the logistics are buttoned up. They should provide guidance on what to do and what not to do to ensure that things go as smoothly as possible and employees are treated with dignity and respect. Ask if they provide complimentary notification training.
- Coach-led programs. There is no shortage of information available on the internet; the key is applying that information based on an individual’s particular set of circumstances. Overwhelmingly, it’s the one-on-one conversations, support, and expert guidance from a career coach that results in the high impact of these programs. How can you really tell how much time your person will get? Ask how many one-on-one coaching hours are factored into the program(s) you are considering.
- Group learning and valuable technology integration. Expect high-tech and high-touch. People have different learning styles and benefit from their shared experiences. Facilitated group workshops can expose people to new content as well as a variety of career experts and an opportunity to expand their network. Technology enables self-assessments, research, job search tools and the opportunity to keep track of and sign up for events. Ask about facilitated workshops, networking opportunities, and online content and capabilities to supplement one-on-one support.
- High utilization and engagement. Expect your employees to be engaged and benefiting from the services you are paying for. Expect utilization rates above 80% and progress updates so you can see how services are being leveraged. Ask what percentage of people leverage their full programs.
Surprisingly, industrywide, fewer than 50% of employees who engage in services, (and who you pay for) continue leveraging them after their first meeting.
- Results. Most companies do not have a good sense of how the experience was for their departing employees or how useful it was in their job transition. Make sure to get access to evaluation information, verify with former employees and ask others in your industry to make sure the feedback is consistently positive. Ask how feedback is collected and what KPIs are measured.
At ClearRock we are trusted partners in helping navigate the complexities of employee transitions and separations. Our clients appreciate the flexibility, time, and attention we invest to create positive outcomes for the individuals leaving and those leading the way forward.
With the lowest candidate-to-consultant ratios in our industry and utilization above 90%, organizations experience a valuable return on their investment and individuals receive meaningful support to make better-informed decisions about their career.
Organizations choose ClearRock because we care, we are easy to work with, and we get results.
