Employers looking to reduce costs are scaling back their outplacement programs for their transitioned employees. So how does someone negotiate a better program?
First some background. Outplacement programs have seen a consistent scale back over the years as margin challenged organizations pushed hard to reduce their costs from their outplacement providers. This push back resulted in outplacement firms - especially the large multinational ones - moving their delivery model from one on one coaching to virtual model - online portal, webinars and tutorials.
The transitioned employees were then left with a variety of tools but no guidance on how to best use them. This left them frustrated and more embittered towards their past employers.
How can someone negotiate a better outplacement program when they are involved in a transition?
There are a number of firms that provide outplacement. What you want to look for are firms provide the one on one individualized consulting that will provide you with a program best suited for your specific situation. Online tools and webinars are helpful but that cannot take the place of the value created by working with an experienced consultant.
Do a web search and locate the outplacement firms in your area that provide individualized consulting services. Read their website, write them an email, give them a call. You should also look at how many people they have on staff. This is important because this will determine how much time each consultant can provide to their overall client base.
