Outplacement is critical when downsizing
Never let an employee go without proper Outplacement support.
Typically, management views the provision of Outplacement services as a benevolent act to assist former employees to find another position and move on with their lives, and whilst this is a major objective of an Outplacement program, there are more cogent reasons to ensure that proper Outplacement support is provided to former employees.
Since the introduction of the Fairwork Act, the industrial relations landscape in Australia has changed dramatically, with many large and small scale organisation's executive teams struggling to understand its full implications. Get it wrong, and a company can face uncapped liabilities totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars…think about Adverse Action, OH&S, and Common Law claims.
The redundancy/retrenchment process is often delegated to the human resources manager (and why not), who in many cases has not been through this process previously and who most likely has little or no understanding/qualifications to properly manage the assignment from beginning to end.
Consequently, an organisation can be unwittingly exposed to huge potential liabilities if something goes wrong (with the potential for this risk extending possibly for many weeks after the initial retrenchment has occurred). Imagine if Boards and shareholders really knew of these potential liabilities. Remember it is the employer who is enforcing these changes on their employees, so a duty of care certainly exists. Furthermore, by subjecting employees to this trauma, it is incumbent on the terminating employer to provide timely counselling and support to all affected personnel. Failure to do so is indefensible, particularly in a legal (and moral) context.
A well-structured Outplacement program will manage and minimise most of these risks, initially focusing on counselling and support over the first 24 to 48-hour period after being informed of the retrenchment. Carefully designed processes that assist people and their families to cope with these sudden changes are all components of risk management on behalf of the employer.
If something goes horribly wrong (e.g. an employee self-harms or becomes violent to management), then the structure exists to quickly act to prevent and/or minimise these possibilities. Not having these structures in place is an abrogation of duty of care to former employees, shareholders and the wider community.
Outplacement works for the benefit of both the employer and the retrenched worker, assisting all parties to “settle down” and move ahead following this significant and traumatic event. Not providing Outplacement services could, therefore, be viewed as reckless and irresponsible.
A high-quality Outplacement program will provide:
- Experienced and qualified counsellors skilled in enforced workplace change
- A planned process to address the immediate impact on employees and their families
- A structure to monitor individual health and reaction (particularly during the first 48-hour period)
- A proven program to intensively assist former employees in finding a new position
- The flexibility to respond to individual needs and job search requirements over a 12-24 month time frame
Outplacement is more than finding a new job. It is about helping all parties to effectively move through a time of major trauma in a managed and supportive environment, thereby minimising immediate risks and maximising future opportunities.
Recent recommendation:
"In my many years in HR, it is rare to find an outplacement provider like ACMA that truly cares for the person as an individual, not just as a project or task. The response times are best in class, as often these events occur spontaneously; the management and team react and commence service delivery without hesitation.
Where most providers drop the candidate as soon as they are employed again, the ACMA team carry through with the support to ensure the candidate is well-equipped to pass any milestone put in front of them.
True professionals, in every sense of the word, can't recommend their services highly enough. Cost-effective and highly skilled, the feedback from employees helped by ACMA has always been at the 5-star level."
Note: A Career Development Association of Australia research paper found that when professional career guidance occurred, the participant was 2.67 times more likely to secure a job.
All program services can be delivered via our interactive online cloud-based career management "Career Talk" system and/or "one-on-one" in our Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, Cairns or Auckland offices.
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