Outplacement
What’s the deal?
Outplacement training is a relatively new phenomenon in the
business world, and many companies are still unaware of its
presence. Indeed, it is not especially surprising, as you
would probably only have come into contact with it in slightly
less than favourable circumstances. Outplacement training
is designed to ease the process of redundancy, providing outgoing
employees with the appropriate skills and advice to continue
their working lives.
Redundancy can be a great upheaval in a person’s life,
and it is an often traumatic experience. Going from the comfort
and security of regular employment into a great unknown is
always something to be feared, especially if the job was a
long standing one. Getting a new job seems a distant prospect
– it has been a long time since you wrote a covering
letter, or put a CV together. People often do not even have
CVs, or if they do they are out of date. The format they take
tends change over the years: whilst a scrappy single sheet
of A4 with brief personal details, and even briefer information
about your schooling and job history got you your job 30 years
ago, what’s to say it will do now? Even for younger
employees whom the job application process is not such a distant
memory, the prospect can be frightening – a family to
support, a mortgage to honour and bills to pay.
Job security is not the certainty it always was: business
changes at a far more rapid rate that at any point in the
past. It is very rare that we remain in the same jobs for
our whole lives. Yet we do not have the training in job hunting,
CV writing and interview techniques that are needed to secure
that next job. Employers are becoming far more sensitive to
the problems facing their outgoing employees, and so redundancy
packages are increasingly coming to include outplacement skills.
So what is outplacement exactly?
Outplacement provides the necessary skills for that next
step after your employment ends. It aims to ease some of that
anxiety and fear, reducing the trauma of the experience. Outplacement
advisors have experience of dealing with such situations and
are aware of the emotive issues that can arise.
Skills include:
• CV preparation & production
• Interview techniques
• Writing for jobs
• Video Presentations
• Telephone skills
• Retraining
As well as these, outplacement advisors offer advice regarding
finances, including pensions and other possible benefits available.
As well as this, they can highlight job opportunities, offer
post job interview analysis and ongoing mentoring for job
hunting. All available alternatives will be highlighted –
taking retirement, retraining for another career, looking
for employment in a similar field, or even starting your own
business.
The great potential of outplacement need only be seen in
the testimonies of those who have been given the benefit of
it. Redundancy payments are all very well, and have their
place, but they only provide for the short term inconvenience
of job loss. With the provision of outplacement training,
companies are providing their departing staff with the best
possible chance of securing further employment. They will
continue to make an impact on their lives through a final,
parting investment in them.
With a growing number of training companies offering outplacement
training, it seems wrong not to take such an opportunity to
put employees ahead in the search for employment. It seems
only fair, when they have given their time for the company
and now must face job and financial insecurity. At least with
outplacement training behind them, they may do so with relative
confidence.
West End Training has provided Outplacement for small, medium
businesses and large plcs. West End Training continues its
philosophy of tailor-making services for clients and can offer
a simple one-day provision or we can send a team onsite for
a few weeks, depending on the job that needs to be done.
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