How to choose the right outplacement provider

Choosing the right outplacement provider can make a big difference when it comes to supporting your departing employees. But not all companies are the same. While they might look the same on the surface, the quality of the career coaching and job search support they provide can vary significantly.

So how do you choose the right outplacement provider? You may know straight away when speaking to a company that you want to work with them, or you may need more information to help you decide.

When you are considering investing in outplacement services, here are five suggestions to help you select the best outplacement provider for your organisation and employees.

1. Outplacement provider recommendations

Ask contacts for their recommendations of an outplacement provider with a good track record of successful career transitions. Organisations like professional bodies or other trusted authorities may also have recommendations.

Look at the history of a company before you make a commitment. Refer to testimonials and case studies and external reviews to judge how an outplacement provider can help you. Our overall career transition / new job success rate is over 85% which is high compared to other companies.

2. Select the right services

Discuss with the company the services you would like provided. Some companies only provide resume writing services. Others, like Glide Outplacement, offer a range of career transition services, from advice to coping with redundancy and exploring career options, to practical job search support such as preparing for interviews and writing standout resumes. There is also provision of network resources and opportunities to proactively market the candidates to the wider recruiter and hiring community.

Choose an outplacement provider that will tailors services to your organisation’s budget, and offers as much value as possible to your employees. For instance, we conduct a thorough needs assessment to customise a program so that it meets the need of the individual and lays the foundation for a successful career transition.

3. Initial meeting

Have an initial consultation meeting with the company – this should be free. Ask what outplacement programs and job search resources are available. This will give you an insight into the company as well as key information about their services and customer profile.

We provide a free, 30 minute no-obligation initial meeting. Call 1300 911 131 or book an outplacement consultation online. 

Outplacement providers should be up front about costs. Tell them your budget and get a written proposal that tells you exactly what is provided, and whether ongoing support and online resources are included or not. We offer unlimited phone, email and online support for the duration of our programs, so your affected staff can ask questions and access resources when they need them most. 

4. Due diligence

Enquire about the professional credentials of the company’s outplacement consultants and career coaches. Ideally they should have advanced degrees, significant years of consulting and/or previous senior-level experience within an organisation. They should also have expert and up to date knowledge of recruitment and job searching.

In recent years, HR consultants and recruitment agencies have begun offering career transition services as an offshoot to their main business. It’s important to choose an outplacement provider that has the experience, knowledge, skills and networks to provide effective support for your employees. 

5. Choose support model

Decide whether your organisation will benefit from a service delivery model based on group workshops, in-depth one-to-one individual outplacement, or a mixture of both. We offer both models, at times and locations to suit the participants. We also offer remote career transition support.

Check that the outplacement service provider assigns dedicated consultants for each of your people. Otherwise they may only get support from ‘pool career coaches’. A dedicated career coach who works with an individual over a number of sessions builds a personal relationship and strong understanding of their job search requirements, which an on-call consultant can’t do.

Many outplacement companies provide only online support. However, automated career transition may not be the ideal option for your employees. Often people need personal one-on-one attention to help them come to terms with job loss and support them on their journey to secure a new role. Technology such as online resume builders add little value when someone wants a real person to talk to. Avoid providers who rely on automated systems.

Selecting the right outplacement provider will give your people their best chance of landing a new role far sooner than if they were left to fend for themselves following a redundancy.