Just What the Heck Is Outplacement?

Providing quality Outplacement / Career Transition services from MJW Careers helps transitioning employees understand that career changes don’t have to be career-ending.

Our career consultants, experienced in virtually every industry, provide transition participants with the type of support that helps them ease their anxieties and gain a better foothold on their next role or career path. Also, with the best consultant-participant ratio in the field, participants receive one-on-one, face-to-face assistance ensuring their programs are personalized to their specific situation. Additional resources, such as our proprietary online career portal offer participants 24/7 access to training modules and multiple tools for job search assistance, personal branding, resume writing, company intelligence database searches, networking, and more. On top of our outplacement solutions delivery program, we also offer some EXTRAS.

So just what is our “EXTRA” Guarantee?

• Two-year resume guarantee! Our company truly cares for our clients and wants them to succeed. If any unforeseen circumstance occurs within the allotted time, our clients are able to return for a free resume update to kick start their new search!
• Social media training. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and many other social media sites are essential in the modern workforce. Our company does not just inform clients of these sites but trains the client on how to utilize these sites for their own self-branding and job search.
• Personalized job leads. Our Company takes the time to understand our customer’s skills, wants, and needs. We specialize in finding the right jobs for the right people!
• Business startup assistance. 10% of our clients each year start their own business. When a client expresses this interest, our counselors work with the client to determine if this career path is viable, and if so, we provide comprehensive resources and guidance.
• Low-cost insurance referrals. COBRA is a scary word for any terminated employee. We partner with local insurance companies to provide a low-cost recommendation for insurance to help ease our client’s anxiety and stress.

Recognize the importance of a positive employer brand.

All employees, past or present, help perpetuate an organization’s employer brand, and the image that companies project is correlated with the level of talent they are able to attract. In order to successfully brand themselves as an employer of choice, companies need to show their employees that they value them, even, and perhaps especially, when they are letting them go. Offering a severance package and career transition services to exiting employees sends a clear and definitive message that every individual is valued as an employee, even though their tenure with the company is coming to an end. Treating staff with dignity and respect during this significant transition helps ensure that displaced employees project a more positive image about the company as a whole.

Reinforce the fact that downsizing is not linked to job performance.

During corporate downsizing, impacted individuals most times are let go due to restructuring, not performance. If employees understand that being let go is not a reflection of their own performance, they will not be as likely to cast the organization in a negative light. Building and communicating the business case for the downsizing or reorganization is a critical component of this process.

Recognize the potential for rehiring talent in the future.

Given the cyclical nature of the workforce, opportunities may arise in the future to rehire talent. From a talent acquisition perspective, a downsized employee could be the strongest candidate to fill a position. On-boarding a former employee costs comparatively less than hiring a new candidate altogether. When companies offer a more robust career transition program, it can evoke more positive feelings and a consistent employer brand message, increasing the likelihood of employees returning to the company because they feel valued there.

Employee perception of downsizing shapes employer brand messaging on social media.

In the past, laid-off employees had a very small platform to broadcast their frustrations and feelings about the company letting them go. Social media outlets like Glassdoor are specifically designed to consolidate employee feedback, and negative comments about employers can be disseminated to a much broader audience around the globe. When career transition programs help individuals adjust during times of change, it often results in more positive and consistent employer brand messaging.

Integrate career transition services into a company’s HR strategy.

In order for outplacement or career transition strategies to be most effective, the approach should be integrated into the company’s overall HR strategy. As transitioning employees network to land new jobs, it is inevitable that the employees’ former company name will come up in the discussion. If career transition services are integrated into the overall HR strategy, it helps promote a more positive outlook on the situation. The way a company treats and supports its employees during the exit process holds significant importance. If companies want to remain competitive in recruiting top talent, they need to be proactive about their employer brand. It is critical to remember that downsized employees continue to serve as employer brand ambassadors well after their tenure ends.

Download our proposal and our service brochure.