Season 3: Episode 9 How to Set Up Outplacement Support

Hello and welcome to the

Redundancy Matters podcast, helping

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compassionate HR professionals

managing redundancies who want to put

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people at the heart of the process.

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I'm your host, June Hogan, a qualified

career coach and outplacement

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specialist with a background in

HR and founder of Outplacement

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services provider Wildwood Coaching.

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In this podcast, I'll be sharing my

insights and experience from being

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on both sides of the redundancy

table and from my years of experience

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supporting individuals after redundancy

through our placement support.

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Welcome to Redundancy Matters.

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I'm June Hogan.

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I'm a career coach and

outplacement specialist.

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I'm got a background in hr, and this is

the podcast where I help HR professionals

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and leaders managing redundancies to

put people at the heart of the process.

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So in today's episode, I'm talking about

something that you probably don't have

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to do that often, or maybe you've never

done it before, and that is how to go

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about setting up outplacement support.

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If it's your first time dealing with

this, budgeting for it or putting it in

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place, then it can feel a bit unclear.

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And just another thing to add

to the list when you're planning

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redundancies, and I know that

that list is already really long.

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You may not have even heard of

outplacement support before.

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Certainly I hadn't when I was in my

early career, and so there's lots of

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things that you're gonna need to know.

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Do some research, find a provider, find

out what they can offer, and importantly,

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find out whether that support's

really gonna help the people at risk.

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So there'll be questions like, how much

budgets should you allow for when do you

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actually implement outplacement support?

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And importantly, how do you make sure

that it actually helps people, rather

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than just ticking a box and saying,

yes, we offered outplacement support.

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So I'm going to talk about.

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How to think about budgeting,

especially with the uptake, because

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isn't always what you might expect.

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So I'll share some insights into that for

you, which can also help with budgeting.

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Also, you're gonna need to know

when to implement outplacement

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support, when do you introduce it?

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When do you start talking about it?

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And I'll be sharing some

insights into that as well.

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And then importantly, how do you

actually make it work in practice

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in a way that's gonna support people

properly and not just on paper.

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Now I'll make reference to some

of my services as we go along to

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give you an idea of what we might

charge, but you'll find cheaper and

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more expensive providers out there.

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So I'd encourage you to do your research.

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So let's start with, well, what

are you actually budgeting for?

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Now?

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I know a lot about placement decisions are

driven by cost, so it's really important

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to have an idea of that budget upfront.

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And your budget and what it's

likely to cost so that you can

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take a realistic proposal forward

for the appropriate sign off.

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So outplacement support isn't just one

fixed thing, so if you haven't come

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across it before, it's a range of support

and it covers career direction, job

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search, support, and emotional support.

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And that's one that's easy to miss

and underestimate because even when

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redundancy is handled well, people can

have their confidence knocked and they're

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not always sure where to start because

the process itself is overwhelming.

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What's happening to them is overwhelming.

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And then to try and think about

and plan ahead with your career,

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that can be overwhelming too,

to do all of that on your own.

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And when you have someone outside the

organization, someone who's neutral,

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experienced, you can really talk things

through with them, then it can make

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a real difference to the individuals.

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So when you are budgeting for outplace and

support, you're not just kind of funding

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CV writing and interview preparation.

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You are really looking

at the whole transition.

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And I know that budgets will guide.

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What parts of that you can offer, but

if you can see it holistically, then the

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impact of having holistic outplacement

support really does make a difference.

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Now, I mentioned at

the start about uptake.

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So when I first started working in

outplacement support, you know, I used

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to think, well, if we offer it to 20

people, then 20 people are gonna use it.

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But I quickly realized that

the reality is that they don't.

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So over the years I've come to realize

that some people will already have a plan.

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There might be some people who feel

very confident to approach what's

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next on their own, or maybe they've

already been looking for another job

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and they've got something lined up.

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There'll be some people who don't

feel that they need the support.

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And again, perfectly capable and able

to manage that transition on their own.

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Some people don't want the support,

so they want nothing more to do

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with the company, even though

outplacement is completely independent.

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Just through whatever people might be

feeling during that time, they just

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don't want to engage in the support, and

some people just aren't ready right now.

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So this goes back to when you are

gonna start talking about it and

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when you're going to implement it.

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So I'll come onto that a little bit later.

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So instead of budgeting for a hundred

percent of uptake, it's more realistic to

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assume that you'll get partial engagement.

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And when you're choosing a

provider, it's really important

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to build flexibility around that.

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So when you're budgeting, I would suggest

50 to 75% of uptake For outplacement

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support, that's typically what we see.

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We can see lower.

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And I have seen a hundred percent as well.

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But if you are budgeting, then I would

budget around about those numbers.

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Now for smaller programs, you're probably

likely to see higher levels of engagement

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and senior leaders will generally have a

higher uptake because they appreciate that

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it can take longer to find the next role.

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But what usually happens is you'll have a

core group of people who use the support.

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And so thinking about your provider

and their flexibility is important.

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So when you are choosing an outplacement

provider, asking them questions like,

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well, how does the support work?

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But importantly, how do

you pay for the support?

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So, for example, we only ask

people to pay for the support

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that people actually engage with.

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Rather than saying, well, you've got

20 people at risk, so we'll charge

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you for 20 people at XX pans ahead.

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Because I recognize that you don't

want to be spending money on people

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that aren't gonna need the support.

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And at a time when the business is

reducing costs and you know that

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that money and that budget can be

used in other ways, and also asking

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your provider, well, can you kind

of scale things up or down and maybe

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move that budget around if necessary.

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So if they are asking you to pay

upfront and some, some providers

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will, then can you use any leftover

budget, um, on another program or

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do they offer a refund, for example?

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Because if you are left with a rigid

model, then it makes it much harder.

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So that flexibility is important.

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Now, in terms of cost, outplacement

support can vary a lot.

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So it can go from a few hundred pounds, a

person to a few thousand pounds a person.

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So, for example, our support starts at 3

9 9 plus fat per person for our digital

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program that is supported by fortnightly

group coaching and our one-to-one

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support starts at six 50 plus fat.

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But what I would suggest is that if

you're looking at a thorough package

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of individuals support, then I probably

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and that will get you some really thorough

and in-depth support for individuals.

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If you are working on a smaller budget

than that, then for example, the package

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I just mentioned, our individual support

starting at six 50, that's really

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popular and it gives people, um, the

foundations and the support they need

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to get out there into the job market.

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If you're spending more money,

then it's gonna give the support

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for a longer period of time.

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And of course, group workshops be that

online or in person, are also, um, a cost

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effective way of running support as well.

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So thinking about the support

across the different groups

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that are gonna be at risk.

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So for example, um, more junior

employees might often want a bit

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more structure, some practical help

and clear steps, because for some of

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those it might be their first job, for

example, with more senior employee.

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It can be slightly different because

it does take longer to find a senior

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role and it's less straightforward,

and there's more involved in

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positioning and networking and

personal brand and preparing for

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interviews, et cetera, when you are

dealing with more senior colleagues.

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So it is okay to offer different

support to different levels, but

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some organizations that I've worked

with prefer to offer the same to

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everyone in terms of fairness, and

that's completely understandable.

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Now, I mentioned before that

group workshops are a great way

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of offering outplacement support.

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If you have a really tight budget,

it can get a little bit tricky if

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you're trying to bring in different

levels in the organization together.

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So you know, you've got a director in

the same workshop as someone in entry

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level role, it's really difficult to

kind of pitch things appropriately.

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And bearing in mind, some

individuals might not want to

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be in the same room as, as.

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Um, senior colleagues in the team.

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It just depends on the culture.

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So it can work if you can differentiate

and mix up the groups and make sure that

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the support that the provider is giving

you is still relevant to those groups.

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So when do you introduce

outplacement support So that

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timing can make a big difference?

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And I'm often asked about

when to introduce it.

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So I think there's a few

things here to think about.

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Now during consultation, this can often

be overlooked, but it is really helpful

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to start talking about outplacement

support as part of consultation

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because then you are introducing the

support and you can help people to

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get involved in shaping it as well.

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So if you are doing a, a small,

, redundancy, or if you're doing a

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larger one, then you can still have

it as part of your announcement to

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let people know that in the event that

you do have to make redundancies, the

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outplacement support will be available.

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Now, you don't have to go into

loads of detail at that stage, but

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it's important to, to mention it

so that people can understand that

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if they are made redundant, there's

gonna be some support to help them.

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And then during consultation, either

on a one-to-one basis or if you're

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doing this at a a group level, then

you can ask people, so what would,

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what help would they really like?

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What's actually gonna make a difference?

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What would make this easier for them?

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What support might be important?

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All these kind of things.

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And you can use your employee

reps to go and gather information

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from the wider group as well.

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And I've seen this work really well

because if you work with the right

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provider, then you can build a more

kind of bespoke package as part

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of that collective consultation

based on what people need.

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Um, it doesn't have to be

complicated, but it can make it

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feel more relevant, particularly

when you're working with specific

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groups of people with specific needs.

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Now, the most common point to actually

kind of implement outplacement support

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is once redundancies have been confirmed.

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The key here is how it's positioned

and that you'll have made

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reference to outplace and support

during the consultation process.

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So it's not an afterthought, but

it's part of an integrated offering

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as part of your redundancy process.

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So thinking about introducing it

early as a concept, talking to people

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about what they're going to need

and find most, most useful and most

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relevant if, if that's appropriate.

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Alternatively, you may

have chosen your provider.

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You may have found.

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Support that fits within your

budget and that you believe

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is gonna really help people.

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And you might be just going in with the

standard information about that support.

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So either way is okay.

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It just depends on the nature

of the process and the, the

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people that you are working with.

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And then for example, I will share

documentation that you can share

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in consultation meetings you know,

presentation materials that you can

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share with collective consultation.

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So it's really important 'cause

there's a lot for people to take in.

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And so having clarity on, well, what does

this thing outplace and support even mean?

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Because lots of people

have never heard of it.

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So you'll have integrated it as part

of the process and then confirming it

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all once redundancies are confirmed.

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But what I find is it's after people

have left, again, depending on the

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length of the consultation, that

the engagement really does pick up,

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because not everyone's ready straight

away to engage in the support.

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And some people need time

to think about what's next.

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So what I rec would recommend is

that when you offer the support to

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people, give them a deadline by which

they need to engage, particularly

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individual support that lots of people

tend to take up after they've left.

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So I would say give people

around three months to opt in.

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That's probably the maximum I would

give because it gives them the

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space and it also gives them a point

where they need to make a decision.

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So that helps you to manage your

budget and helps your provider to

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manage their resources as well.

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You can choose a tighter

timeline if you wish.

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And I've seen organizations

do seven days, for example.

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Um, but it just depends again, on

where people are at and what you

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think is gonna be the most helpful.

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So how do you make outplacement

support work in practice?

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So you're aiming for something that's

flexible, that's relevant and person

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centered, because alongside all the

practical support, a big part of

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this is helping people process what's

happened and feel able to move forward.

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So the right provider is going to make

your life a lot easier because you're

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going to know that there's somebody there

looking after those people at risk, but

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making sure that the support that you are

offering is really going to support those

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in individuals and their particular needs.

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So just checking things like,

well, is this a platform?

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Do people get to speak to somebody?

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Particularly now with advances with

ai, for example, you know, are these.

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People going to be

engaging with individuals?

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Or is it through some kind of a system?

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What's the turnaround time?

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How quickly can you implement this?

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What does it look like

for the individuals?

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Are they able to tailor

things, for example?

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And also how do they

communicate the support itself?

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So really digging into, well,

actually, how does this work?

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And also when you are engaging

with a provider, understanding,

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will they be using a team?

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Is it just that individual?

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Particularly if you are doing something

on a smaller scale, it might just be

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the individual that you're talking

to that implements the support.

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So really understanding the background

as well for the people that the provider

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is gonna be putting in front of your

colleagues at risk and understanding.

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Will they be able to connect and

understand and really have that

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level of empathy with individuals?

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Because outplacement support definitely

isn't a transactional process.

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It is about engaging, supporting,

and making sure that individuals.

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Feel that they are being cared

for essentially, because this is a

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difficult time in most people's lives.

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And some of the feedback that we often

have is that kind of, it felt like I

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had a friend kind of supporting me.

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And that's the kind of feedback that I

love because that's what outplacement

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support is all about, is taking somebody a

difficult time, giving them that support,

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giving them the professional guidance,

but ultimately being that person who's

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there for them during that transition.

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So if you are approaching outplacement

support for the first time, then a

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few tips to just take away is that,

don't assume everyone will use it.

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Make sure that you plan for some

flexibility and recognize that different

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people need different levels of support.

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And then use the consultation

process throughout to be managing

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the communication so that it's not

just something that you introduced

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in the last consultation meeting.

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Making sure that the access to

outplacement support is, is open, but you

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do put a timeline on it for when people

would need to engage and making sure that

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you have conversations about it throughout

the process and asking individuals how

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you can help to shape what outplacement

support might do best for them as well.

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Because if you're handing out placement

support really well, it's less about

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that kind of service at the end and

more about how you support people

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through partnering with a provider.

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That's an extension of your HR team

because I believe by choosing to offer

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out placement support, that it's clear

that you care about what happens next

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to people, and you want to choose a

provider that cares as much as you do.

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So if it's your first time implementing

out placement support, or maybe you

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haven't done it for a while, I hope

that that episode was helpful and

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you've got some things to take away.

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So thank you so much for listening,

and I hope that you'll tune

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into another episode very soon.

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And if you'd like to check out more

resources to support you managing

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redundancies, then you'll find blogs

on my website, Wildwood coaching.co.uk,

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and you'll also find a link in the show

notes to join us on a monthly basis for.

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Free lunch and learn where we

dive into different aspects

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of managing redundancies.

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And those episodes are also being

recorded now, so you can find

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them on YouTube to catch up.

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Thank you so much for listening

to the Redundancy Matters podcast.

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I hope you found today's episode helpful.

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It would mean a lot to me if you

would follow rate and review this

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podcast wherever you listen to your

podcasts, as this helps it reach more

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people who are managing redundancies.

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Let me know what you thought,

and if you have ideas for future

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episodes, I'd love to hear from you.

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You can find me on LinkedIn, June

Hogan, and get in touch via my

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website, wildwood coaching.co.uk,

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where you'll also find more resources

to help you manage redundancies.

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I hope you'll join me again soon for

the next episode of Redundancy Matters.