Strengthen Your Employer Brand with Outplacement

When you’re forced to make the difficult decision to restructure or perform layoffs, you may wonder, is there a way you can make this easier on your team? Not just the people who remain with you, but the valued employees that you’ve had to let go?

You may also wonder about how this restructuring will impact your reputation when it comes to new hires. How will you and your organization plan and streamline the offboarding process? Will this restructuring process have any effect on your brand as an employer?

There is an answer to the difficult question of: “How can I help employees I’ve had to lay off?” That answer is: outplacement services.

What is outplacement?

Outplacement is a benefit you offer to your terminated and laid-off team members. They are commonly part of a severance package, as a structured program that provides opportunities and support to help former employees find new employment as soon as possible. Outplacement services can include:

- Resume and cover letter services

- Job search assistance

- Interviewing practice

- Developing networking and salary negotiation skills

- Courses to build industry-specific skills

- Online presence coaching, including social media skills

The goal of outplacement is to get your former employees back to work as soon as possible in new, rewarding positions. It is an investment that can pay substantial dividends for both your former employees and you as an employer with a brand reputation to protect.

Why do you need an outplacement partner?

Outplacement can be a service you create internally, but hiring a specialized team to develop and execute your outplacement process is a forward-thinking choice. You will be working with outplacement professionals who have experience creating suites of services that match your team’s specific needs. Outplacement teams have insights both on the current job market and on your industry, meaning their programming will be both relevant and up-to-date to best help your former employees. An outplacement team, like the one at Incipio, has the insights needed to keep your company on the cutting edge of what makes an effective and supportive offboarding process.

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Outplacement shows commitment to your team

Your business depends on your employer brand to draw in talented prospective employees, and your employer brand is key to retaining team members. Choices that inform your employer brand prove to your team that you are a company that cares, unifying the whole organization in alignment with your mission and vision.

Your employer brand also extends to how your employees are treated when you must make the tough choice to have them leave the company. A bad offboarding experience can be shocking, upsetting, and highly memorable for any employees you lay off. Offering these team members chances to expedite their job search through outplacement programming can soften the blow of a lost job by making it clear you do prioritize your team.

A company that invests in its employees as they work there is a good workplace. A company that invests in its employees even when they’re in the process of restructuring is a great workplace. People remember great workplaces, and more importantly, they talk about great workplace experiences with others. They act as brand ambassadors for you long after they work for your company.

Restructuring goes smoother with outplacement services

There can be a number of moving parts in a restructuring or layoff process, especially if you’re invested in doing right by your team. It can be an undertaking that requires both expertise and a workable system that can be deployed at scale. Working with outplacement experts can streamline your offboarding process, ensuring your outplacement offerings are tailored to your company and team’s needs while keeping the process organized, making it doubly useful.

When should you engage with outplacement services?

While it can be helpful to connect with an outplacement service provider like Incipio while you’re in the process of restructuring, or as part of the decision-making process before you begin layoffs, the best time to develop a working relationship with an outplacement service is before you need the service at all.

This may seem counterintuitive; why would you hire a service before you even know you’ll need it? The answer is simple; investment in your employer brand.

Outplacement and your employer brand

Outplacement services you provide your employees will be a key facet of your employer brand. When you develop a working relationship with a company that provides outplacement services before they’re needed, you develop a relationship that allows that company to understand your employer brand deeply and in detail. They can then structure the offboarding process for employees in a way that is consistent with your employer brand; an effective offboarding process can even strengthen that brand.

If you’re looking for outplacement services that streamline employee transitions and prove your dedication to your team, connect with Incipio Workforce Solutions today to get started investing in your team throughout their time with your company.

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Incipio Workforce Solutions is a strategic partner in helping businesses thrive through recruiting, HR solutions, direct hire recruiting, employer branding, team building, and more! Since 2015, Incipio has been on a mission to transform the way companies attract, engage, and delight their team members. Our professional services break down the challenges you face and create manageable goals, obtainable standards, and process improvements to reorganize, revitalize, and redefine what was into what is possible. Comprised of expertise in HR, Recruiting, Employer Branding, and Service, Incipio gives companies the tools they need to successfully manage their employee experience from interview to retirement. For more information on how we can help you and your business, call us at 502-409-4821 or email us at [email protected].