As humans, we want to be seen & valued. Layoffs make us feel erased and devalued.

One way to have your outgoing employees continue to feel seen & valued is to offer outplacement services. Outplacement services can vary from job searching, career coaching, and resume rewrites to job placement services, to interview preparation or even development & training.

You may be scratching your head and saying if we are laying employees off — why would we want to continue to invest in them? It’s all about reputation, reducing risk, integrity, and marketplace positioning.

As a company, we want prospective employees to want to work for us. We want our clients to want to use our product or service. These things are what build a solid, positive reputation in the marketplace. Success tends to beget success. This drives revenue and makes your organization a sought-after destination for job hunters. 

When humans feel like they no longer matter, as employees or consumers, we look to place blame for these negative feelings. The organization that is laying you off or you feel isn’t treating its people “right” becomes a likely target.

The Impact

In today’s ever-evolving business landscape and social media climate, with multiple streams of stimuli available ALL THE TIME, it is easy for a person to shout about their less than happy feelings. If enough people see these negative statements, it begins to have an impact on how a company is perceived. This also affects your consumers and prospective business partners. It can reduce revenue and interest from job seekers.

Over the past few years we have learned about the changing face of business and its corporate social responsibility. We’ve been through “The Great Resignation”,  “The Great Reshuffle” and now the burgeoning “quietly quitting”.

What are employees looking for?

We, as a population, expect more from our workplaces. We no longer want to do “more with less”. We are looking for more than a “job”. As workers we are looking for a fair, livable wage, good corporate culture, aligned values, flexibility in work schedule, leaders with empathy, solid training & development and, yes, outplacement services.

As prospective employees we actively look for organizations that offer these things! We are consumers in the job market. We are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing us. We read your reviews (GlassDoor, FishBowl) and choose carefully where we may want to spend our professional time.

An organization that is concerned with my mental well-being and growth will rise to the top of my wanted list. Accepting a job offer is not only about the content of the role and the salary — but the full compensation package. If outplacement services are in that comp package — it tells me, the prospective employee, a lot about how the company makes decisions, what their values are and how employees are treated. It motivates me to be an engaged and productive employee.

I already know before I start my first day that if I need to leave this organization, I will be treated with the same respect and integrity I was treated with when I was recruited and onboarded! This in turn, makes me a better employee during my tenure. Studies show that a happy employee is a more productive employee!

Reputation and Brand Integrity

Happy people will also share their positive experience on the same social media channels that the disgruntled ex-employee uses. By offering outgoing employees services to help them make their next professional move, you are setting your organization up for success, as well as your off-boarding employee. This increases your positive reputation, which typically will influence both job seekers and consumers, alike.

Outplacement services not only boost morale for outgoing employees but helps to keep morale from plummeting among employees who are staying. This makes these organizational shifts less painful for everyone.

Interested in how ALV Coaching can help you make your layoffs less painful? You can learn more here.