By: Shawna Simcik

I was at a BBQ this summer with other parents from my son's baseball team – end of a season celebration of sorts, and in a polite, get-to-know-you way, one of the parents said, “what do you do, Shawna?" 

I work in a field where our business benefits when others lose their job. It can be challenging to promote our brand. But then I am quickly reminded that layoffs happen every day, and what we do serves a vulnerable population. We get to help people by providing outplacement consulting when they are in some of their darkest moments – a job loss. For an employee, it is a loss of income, dignity, identity, and a community of friends and colleagues. 

So, I say with pride – our company empowers laid-off employees and protects company reputations. ICC provides outplacement solutions. Many businesses and people who lose their job don't even know that outplacement consultants exists, but outplacement coaching is invaluable for both an employee and an organization. 

With a recent heightened focus on employee retention and recruiting, we are often asked, “why should I spend money helping people who are no longer an employee?" 

Employee outplacement, offboarding, or separating management cannot be an afterthought; it should be a critical, thought-out, end-of-the-talent management cycle. It is more than compliance – it must be littered with compassion. How someone is treated as they exit a company can be an opportunity for companies struggling to bring talent back into an organization, retain current talent, secure their reputation, and protect themselves from legal action. 

One in three people has turned down a job offer because of a company's bad online reviews. Angry, former employees don't often leave raving reviews about company reputations. Today, disgruntled employees who are upset about a layoff are not just telling their friends and family; they are posting on social media, rating you on Glassdoor, and damaging your employer brand in the process. Don't ignore the offboarding process if you want to protect your brand in the community. 

For more information or to learn more about ICC's services, visit our compassionate outplacement service solutions page.

Also, download our webinar on Employee Offboarding to learn how companies see their offboarding strategy as more than compliance – it's a culture and management mindset.