Poor outplacement is breeding dissatisfaction: Survey

31 March 2010 8:38am

Seven in ten managers who have received outplacement support are critical of the way the process was handled, and 90 per cent will be active detractors of their previous employer, according to a Macfarlan Lane outplacement report.

The authors of the 2010 Outplacement Industry Benchmark Report say the way in which employees are treated when they leave a company will have a direct impact on its employment brand.

Only six per cent of candidates surveyed said they would actively promote their former employer in the future, while the majority deemed the outplacement service provider they had worked with ineffective.

According to the report, the elements that add the most value to outplacement services are:

the consultant's ability to actively engage with individuals;

shared understanding of the individual's capabilities and strengths;

the consultant's commercial experience;

access to face-to-face coaching;

the service provider's ability to widen the worker's understanding of their future career alternatives; and

ongoing access to the consultant.

The main triggers for employee dissatisfaction were a lack of understanding regarding their individual capabilities and strengths, and failure to offer a broader understanding of new career opportunities.

"Hygiene factors" (such as facilities, materials and tools) were not viewed as top priorities by candidates, and were already areas of relative satisfaction.

Focus on the consultant, not the provider

The results "reinforce the importance of coaching quality, engagement, and really understanding and working with the individual". Face-to-face support and coaching is significantly more important than high-quality print or online material, the report's authors say.

Rather than just dealing with the outplacement provider's sales manager - and risk having a senior executive "paired off with junior, inexperienced consultant" - employers should meet with the consultants themselves, the report says.

Consultants should be assessed on their ability to build strong relationships and accurately determine an employee's strengths and capabilities.

Employers should also seek information "about the connections the supplier has with executive recruiters, search firms and contract executive agencies" - and investigate consultants' knowledge of industries and companies to gauge their own business acumen and how close they are to the market.

Keeping in touch with ex-staff can prove valuable. "Ask them about their experience with the consultant and probe their view of the consultant and the materials they are working with. Ask them if they are learning, being stretched, and helped significantly in developing new and better careers," the authors say.

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