By: Amy Twiggs

In these uncertain times, there may be reasons your business has to make the most difficult decision of laying off some of your workforce. However, once you decide that the necessary next step is to downsize, then another important choice comes into play and that is how to choose the right outplacement service services provider.

Shopping for an outplacement services provider that aligns with your company’s values and culture is critical to maintaining the employment brand you’ve worked so diligently to create and promote. The following list of questions may help you hone in on the factors that need to be considered when choosing an outplacement services provider:

• Is it important to you to sustain the morale of and demonstrate your commitment to “surviving” employees?
• Do you want to have a shot at managing your former employees’ perception of the company?
• Do you wish to maintain the organization’s reputation in the community and industry?
• Do you want to be able to mediate new partnerships and future opportunities that remain in the industry by demonstrating how you treat employees?
• Do you realize the value of reducing the risk of potential, costly lawsuits by offering personalized services that address the emotional aspects of being laid off as well as helping displaced employees start to think towards the future?
• Is it important to save and reduce unemployment costs from the long-term unemployed with services tailored to meet specific employees’ needs to help them land faster?

If this list hits you where it hurts and makes you realize just how important choosing the right provider is, then you are in the market for an outplacement provider that prioritizes
compassionate outplacement. How do you find such a partner in this difficult venture? You ask them the right questions! For instance:

• Can you help us plan for compassionate notifications?
• Can you help us train our managers and HR business partners on delivering the tough notification messages to our employees? What’s the cost for this training?
• How do you work to meet each employee’s unique career needs?
• What’s the process for connecting separating employees to your services?
• Can you help us create a plan for taking care of “surviving” employees, too?
• Will all my departing employees work directly with a Professional Career Transition Coach or are your programs only comprised of group seminars, pre-recorded webinars and online tools?
• How soon will my employees meet face-to-face with their Professional Career Transition Coaches?
• How often will they meet?
• What will they work on together?
• What program levels are available for my budget? Can you help us put together appropriate levels based on position, tenure and other considerations?
• In what cities do you offer in-person services? Virtual services? Nationally? Globally?
• If my employee could benefit from other non-traditional services, what other services are available through their program?
• When are we invoiced for employees’ programs?
• Can we get updates on employees’ search progress? How often?
• Do you provide satisfaction ratings from employees?

At ICC, we welcome every single one of these questions because we have partnered with many satisfied businesses as they have navigated the difficult waters of downsizing. We take pride in or ability to deliver the best and most compassionate outplacement services available in the industry. At ICC we would be honored to answer any of the above questions as well as any others you can think of. Please contact us at [email protected] or call us at (855) 865-4400.