If you're planning redundancies and not sure how to approach outplacement support, in this episode I break down what outplacement really involves, how to budget for it, when to introduce it, and how to make sure it genuinely supports your people and not just ticks a box.

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Hello and welcome to the

Redundancy Matters podcast, helping

2

compassionate HR professionals

managing redundancies who want to put

3

people at the heart of the process.

4

I'm your host, June Hogan, a qualified

career coach and outplacement

5

specialist with a background in

HR and founder of Outplacement

6

services provider Wildwood Coaching.

7

In this podcast, I'll be sharing my

insights and experience from being

8

on both sides of the redundancy

table and from my years of experience

9

supporting individuals after redundancy

through our placement support.

10

Welcome to Redundancy Matters.

11

I'm June Hogan.

12

I'm a career coach and

outplacement specialist.

13

I'm got a background in hr, and this is

the podcast where I help HR professionals

14

and leaders managing redundancies to

put people at the heart of the process.

15

So in today's episode, I'm talking about

something that you probably don't have

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to do that often, or maybe you've never

done it before, and that is how to go

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about setting up outplacement support.

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If it's your first time dealing with

this, budgeting for it or putting it in

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place, then it can feel a bit unclear.

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And just another thing to add

to the list when you're planning

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redundancies, and I know that

that list is already really long.

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You may not have even heard of

outplacement support before.

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Certainly I hadn't when I was in my

early career, and so there's lots of

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things that you're gonna need to know.

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Do some research, find a provider, find

out what they can offer, and importantly,

26

find out whether that support's

really gonna help the people at risk.

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So there'll be questions like, how much

budgets should you allow for when do you

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actually implement outplacement support?

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And importantly, how do you make sure

that it actually helps people, rather

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than just ticking a box and saying,

yes, we offered outplacement support.

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So I'm going to talk about.

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How to think about budgeting,

especially with the uptake, because

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in my experience since 2019, uptake

isn't always what you might expect.

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So I'll share some insights into that for

you, which can also help with budgeting.

35

Also, you're gonna need to know

when to implement outplacement

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support, when do you introduce it?

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When do you start talking about it?

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And I'll be sharing some

insights into that as well.

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And then importantly, how do you

actually make it work in practice

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in a way that's gonna support people

properly and not just on paper.

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Now I'll make reference to some

of my services as we go along to

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give you an idea of what we might

charge, but you'll find cheaper and

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more expensive providers out there.

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So I'd encourage you to do your research.

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So let's start with, well, what

are you actually budgeting for?

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Now?

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I know a lot about placement decisions are

driven by cost, so it's really important

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to have an idea of that budget upfront.

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And your budget and what it's

likely to cost so that you can

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take a realistic proposal forward

for the appropriate sign off.

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So outplacement support isn't just one

fixed thing, so if you haven't come

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across it before, it's a range of support

and it covers career direction, job

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search, support, and emotional support.

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And that's one that's easy to miss

and underestimate because even when

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redundancy is handled well, people can

have their confidence knocked and they're

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not always sure where to start because

the process itself is overwhelming.

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What's happening to them is overwhelming.

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And then to try and think about

and plan ahead with your career,

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that can be overwhelming too,

to do all of that on your own.

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And when you have someone outside the

organization, someone who's neutral,

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experienced, you can really talk things

through with them, then it can make

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a real difference to the individuals.

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So when you are budgeting for outplace and

support, you're not just kind of funding

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CV writing and interview preparation.

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You are really looking

at the whole transition.

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And I know that budgets will guide.

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What parts of that you can offer, but

if you can see it holistically, then the

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impact of having holistic outplacement

support really does make a difference.

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Now, I mentioned at

the start about uptake.

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So when I first started working in

outplacement support, you know, I used

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to think, well, if we offer it to 20

people, then 20 people are gonna use it.

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But I quickly realized that

the reality is that they don't.

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So over the years I've come to realize

that some people will already have a plan.

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There might be some people who feel

very confident to approach what's

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next on their own, or maybe they've

already been looking for another job

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and they've got something lined up.

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There'll be some people who don't

feel that they need the support.

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And again, perfectly capable and able

to manage that transition on their own.

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Some people don't want the support,

so they want nothing more to do

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with the company, even though

outplacement is completely independent.

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Just through whatever people might be

feeling during that time, they just

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don't want to engage in the support, and

some people just aren't ready right now.

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So this goes back to when you are

gonna start talking about it and

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when you're going to implement it.

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So I'll come onto that a little bit later.

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So instead of budgeting for a hundred

percent of uptake, it's more realistic to

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assume that you'll get partial engagement.

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And when you're choosing a

provider, it's really important

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to build flexibility around that.

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So when you're budgeting, I would suggest

50 to 75% of uptake For outplacement

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support, that's typically what we see.

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We can see lower.

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And I have seen a hundred percent as well.

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But if you are budgeting, then I would

budget around about those numbers.

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Now for smaller programs, you're probably

likely to see higher levels of engagement

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and senior leaders will generally have a

higher uptake because they appreciate that

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it can take longer to find the next role.

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But what usually happens is you'll have a

core group of people who use the support.

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And so thinking about your provider

and their flexibility is important.

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So when you are choosing an outplacement

provider, asking them questions like,

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well, how does the support work?

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But importantly, how do

you pay for the support?

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So, for example, we only ask

people to pay for the support

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that people actually engage with.

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Rather than saying, well, you've got

20 people at risk, so we'll charge

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you for 20 people at XX pans ahead.

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Because I recognize that you don't

want to be spending money on people

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that aren't gonna need the support.

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And at a time when the business is

reducing costs and you know that

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that money and that budget can be

used in other ways, and also asking

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your provider, well, can you kind

of scale things up or down and maybe

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move that budget around if necessary.

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So if they are asking you to pay

upfront and some, some providers

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will, then can you use any leftover

budget, um, on another program or

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do they offer a refund, for example?

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Because if you are left with a rigid

model, then it makes it much harder.

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So that flexibility is important.

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Now, in terms of cost, outplacement

support can vary a lot.

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So it can go from a few hundred pounds, a

person to a few thousand pounds a person.

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So, for example, our support starts at 3

9 9 plus fat per person for our digital

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program that is supported by fortnightly

group coaching and our one-to-one

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support starts at six 50 plus fat.

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But what I would suggest is that if

you're looking at a thorough package

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of individuals support, then I probably

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and that will get you some really thorough

and in-depth support for individuals.

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If you are working on a smaller budget

than that, then for example, the package

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I just mentioned, our individual support

starting at six 50, that's really

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popular and it gives people, um, the

foundations and the support they need

129

to get out there into the job market.

130

If you're spending more money,

then it's gonna give the support

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for a longer period of time.

132

And of course, group workshops be that

online or in person, are also, um, a cost

133

effective way of running support as well.

134

So thinking about the support

across the different groups

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that are gonna be at risk.

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So for example, um, more junior

employees might often want a bit

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more structure, some practical help

and clear steps, because for some of

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those it might be their first job, for

example, with more senior employee.

139

It can be slightly different because

it does take longer to find a senior

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role and it's less straightforward,

and there's more involved in

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positioning and networking and

personal brand and preparing for

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interviews, et cetera, when you are

dealing with more senior colleagues.

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So it is okay to offer different

support to different levels, but

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some organizations that I've worked

with prefer to offer the same to

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everyone in terms of fairness, and

that's completely understandable.

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Now, I mentioned before that

group workshops are a great way

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of offering outplacement support.

148

If you have a really tight budget,

it can get a little bit tricky if

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you're trying to bring in different

levels in the organization together.

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So you know, you've got a director in

the same workshop as someone in entry

151

level role, it's really difficult to

kind of pitch things appropriately.

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And bearing in mind, some

individuals might not want to

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be in the same room as, as.

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Um, senior colleagues in the team.

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It just depends on the culture.

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So it can work if you can differentiate

and mix up the groups and make sure that

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the support that the provider is giving

you is still relevant to those groups.

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So when do you introduce

outplacement support So that

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timing can make a big difference?

160

And I'm often asked about

when to introduce it.

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So I think there's a few

things here to think about.

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Now during consultation, this can often

be overlooked, but it is really helpful

163

to start talking about outplacement

support as part of consultation

164

because then you are introducing the

support and you can help people to

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get involved in shaping it as well.

166

So if you are doing a, a small,

, redundancy, or if you're doing a

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larger one, then you can still have

it as part of your announcement to

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let people know that in the event that

you do have to make redundancies, the

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outplacement support will be available.

170

Now, you don't have to go into

loads of detail at that stage, but

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it's important to, to mention it

so that people can understand that

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if they are made redundant, there's

gonna be some support to help them.

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And then during consultation, either

on a one-to-one basis or if you're

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doing this at a a group level, then

you can ask people, so what would,

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what help would they really like?

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What's actually gonna make a difference?

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What would make this easier for them?

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What support might be important?

179

All these kind of things.

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And you can use your employee

reps to go and gather information

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from the wider group as well.

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And I've seen this work really well

because if you work with the right

183

provider, then you can build a more

kind of bespoke package as part

184

of that collective consultation

based on what people need.

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Um, it doesn't have to be

complicated, but it can make it

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feel more relevant, particularly

when you're working with specific

187

groups of people with specific needs.

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Now, the most common point to actually

kind of implement outplacement support

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is once redundancies have been confirmed.

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The key here is how it's positioned

and that you'll have made

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reference to outplace and support

during the consultation process.

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So it's not an afterthought, but

it's part of an integrated offering

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as part of your redundancy process.

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So thinking about introducing it

early as a concept, talking to people

195

about what they're going to need

and find most, most useful and most

196

relevant if, if that's appropriate.

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Alternatively, you may

have chosen your provider.

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You may have found.

199

Support that fits within your

budget and that you believe

200

is gonna really help people.

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And you might be just going in with the

standard information about that support.

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So either way is okay.

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It just depends on the nature

of the process and the, the

204

people that you are working with.

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And then for example, I will share

documentation that you can share

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in consultation meetings you know,

presentation materials that you can

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share with collective consultation.

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So it's really important 'cause

there's a lot for people to take in.

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And so having clarity on, well, what does

this thing outplace and support even mean?

210

Because lots of people

have never heard of it.

211

So you'll have integrated it as part

of the process and then confirming it

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all once redundancies are confirmed.

213

But what I find is it's after people

have left, again, depending on the

214

length of the consultation, that

the engagement really does pick up,

215

because not everyone's ready straight

away to engage in the support.

216

And some people need time

to think about what's next.

217

So what I rec would recommend is

that when you offer the support to

218

people, give them a deadline by which

they need to engage, particularly

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individual support that lots of people

tend to take up after they've left.

220

So I would say give people

around three months to opt in.

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That's probably the maximum I would

give because it gives them the

222

space and it also gives them a point

where they need to make a decision.

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So that helps you to manage your

budget and helps your provider to

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manage their resources as well.

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You can choose a tighter

timeline if you wish.

226

And I've seen organizations

do seven days, for example.

227

Um, but it just depends again, on

where people are at and what you

228

think is gonna be the most helpful.

229

So how do you make outplacement

support work in practice?

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So you're aiming for something that's

flexible, that's relevant and person

231

centered, because alongside all the

practical support, a big part of

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this is helping people process what's

happened and feel able to move forward.

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So the right provider is going to make

your life a lot easier because you're

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going to know that there's somebody there

looking after those people at risk, but

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making sure that the support that you are

offering is really going to support those

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in individuals and their particular needs.

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So just checking things like,

well, is this a platform?

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Do people get to speak to somebody?

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Particularly now with advances with

ai, for example, you know, are these.

240

People going to be

engaging with individuals?

241

Or is it through some kind of a system?

242

What's the turnaround time?

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How quickly can you implement this?

244

What does it look like

for the individuals?

245

Are they able to tailor

things, for example?

246

And also how do they

communicate the support itself?

247

So really digging into, well,

actually, how does this work?

248

And also when you are engaging

with a provider, understanding,

249

will they be using a team?

250

Is it just that individual?

251

Particularly if you are doing something

on a smaller scale, it might just be

252

the individual that you're talking

to that implements the support.

253

So really understanding the background

as well for the people that the provider

254

is gonna be putting in front of your

colleagues at risk and understanding.

255

Will they be able to connect and

understand and really have that

256

level of empathy with individuals?

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Because outplacement support definitely

isn't a transactional process.

258

It is about engaging, supporting,

and making sure that individuals.

259

Feel that they are being cared

for essentially, because this is a

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difficult time in most people's lives.

261

And some of the feedback that we often

have is that kind of, it felt like I

262

had a friend kind of supporting me.

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And that's the kind of feedback that I

love because that's what outplacement

264

support is all about, is taking somebody a

difficult time, giving them that support,

265

giving them the professional guidance,

but ultimately being that person who's

266

there for them during that transition.

267

So if you are approaching outplacement

support for the first time, then a

268

few tips to just take away is that,

don't assume everyone will use it.

269

Make sure that you plan for some

flexibility and recognize that different

270

people need different levels of support.

271

And then use the consultation

process throughout to be managing

272

the communication so that it's not

just something that you introduced

273

in the last consultation meeting.

274

Making sure that the access to

outplacement support is, is open, but you

275

do put a timeline on it for when people

would need to engage and making sure that

276

you have conversations about it throughout

the process and asking individuals how

277

you can help to shape what outplacement

support might do best for them as well.

278

Because if you're handing out placement

support really well, it's less about

279

that kind of service at the end and

more about how you support people

280

through partnering with a provider.

281

That's an extension of your HR team

because I believe by choosing to offer

282

out placement support, that it's clear

that you care about what happens next

283

to people, and you want to choose a

provider that cares as much as you do.

284

So if it's your first time implementing

out placement support, or maybe you

285

haven't done it for a while, I hope

that that episode was helpful and

286

you've got some things to take away.

287

So thank you so much for listening,

and I hope that you'll tune

288

into another episode very soon.

289

And if you'd like to check out more

resources to support you managing

290

redundancies, then you'll find blogs

on my website, Wildwood coaching.co.uk,

291

and you'll also find a link in the show

notes to join us on a monthly basis for.

292

Free lunch and learn where we

dive into different aspects

293

of managing redundancies.

294

And those episodes are also being

recorded now, so you can find

295

them on YouTube to catch up.

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Thank you so much for listening

to the Redundancy Matters podcast.

297

I hope you found today's episode helpful.

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It would mean a lot to me if you

would follow rate and review this

299

podcast wherever you listen to your

podcasts, as this helps it reach more

300

people who are managing redundancies.

301

Let me know what you thought,

and if you have ideas for future

302

episodes, I'd love to hear from you.

303

You can find me on LinkedIn, June

Hogan, and get in touch via my

304

website, wildwood coaching.co.uk,

305

where you'll also find more resources

to help you manage redundancies.

306

I hope you'll join me again soon for

the next episode of Redundancy Matters.