Today, employees greatly appreciate the atmosphere in the workplace. Often this is much more important than material considerations. Therefore, companies with a good reputation make sure that the team is satisfied with the cooperation, motivated for their actions, so that everyone feels needed, and their opinion is taken into account.
We are also increasingly talking about the employee market in some industries, so employers make sure they have specialists, and if they have to fire one of them, they try to do it as painlessly as possible. Layoffs are not easy, not only for employees. It happens that we do not plan them at all, but the situation requires it. However, if we want to maintain our reputation, it is worth considering controlled layoffs to support your team during this difficult time. Outplacement: definition, benefits, types – read what it is and why you should think about it in our article!
Considerations for the most painless dismissal of employees
Let’s start with the definition of outplacement. What is it and what is it?
Therefore, they prepare trainings for them to help them better get used to the new reality, set a new career path and develop. Although supervised layoffs are most often used in the case of collective layoffs, there are no barriers to assisting employees individually as well. This solution is increasingly used by small entrepreneurs, and until recently it was done only in large companies.
It is worth emphasizing that training organized in the context of moderate layoffs should not only spread theories and teach how to look for a job. The entire program is about getting the fired person a new job, not just about writing a good resume. Yes, it is definitely needed in the search, but the purpose of outplacement is to find a new position for the dismissed employee.
Outplacement is of three types:
- individual
- group
- mixed
The first concerns specific employees. It happens that we are forced to fire an employee we especially wanted, and often this type of controlled dismissal is used when someone from the management team is fired.
It consists in determining individually with the dismissed employee his career goals, strengths and weaknesses, as well as his further career path. Prepared professional application documents. In addition, a trial set is being conducted not only of interviews, but also, for example, of the Assessment Center. Employees are also taught how to negotiate terms and wages. It even happens that training courses are also held in this area that help in changing industries.
Individual outplacement is used infrequently, as preparation for it is expensive and not always financially feasible.
Group replacement is carried out in case of collective dismissal. Here, such actions do not always cause the good will of the employer. Worth mentioning is the Employment Promotion and Labor Market Institutions Act, where we read that in some cases layoffs are considered mandatory.
In the case of group outplacement, an individual approach to employees is not carried out. The whole process consists primarily in determining their professional goal, career planning, preparing application documents and providing recommendations.
Mixed outplacement combines the features of both previous ones. It is usually carried out on a small group of people (for example, in one position), and each of them is treated individually.
What benefits can outplacement bring
First of all, it is worth emphasizing how important a good image is for a company. As we mentioned earlier, especially today when we often talk about the employee market. But it’s not just about potential future specialists who want to work with us. A positive image affects the entire work of the company – not only our employees, but also customers are more likely to cooperate with us.
Through the use of controlled layoffs and the support of laid-off employers, it is possible to maintain their positive image even in the event of group layoffs. It also helps to reassure the rest of the people working in the company – if outplacement was not used in case of layoffs, they could feel insecure and unstable, which affects motivation and commitment. When they see that even if they get fired, they won’t be alone with it, they feel safe. It is very important not to reduce their effectiveness.
A company that takes care of laid-off employees may also have much better relations with its unions.
In addition, it is also worth noting that a well-executed outplacement can be a kind of free publicity for us, because such news spreads quickly in the industry.
However, layoff benefits apply not only to employers, but also to laid-off employees. Because they receive this help, they can find a job faster, have more opportunities to change industries, they are more relaxed because they do not blame themselves for layoffs, they know that they were the right employee, they feel that they are appreciated. As a result, finding a job does not cause much stress for them, and, as you know, stress does not contribute to the effective search for a new position. In the end, it may turn out that thanks to the training provided by the former employer, they can get a much better job than the one they had until now.
As follows from the above, outplacement is a great solution not only for entrepreneurs, but also for employees. This can be helpful for everyone. So it is worth considering this option in case of layoffs.
