Outplacement is in!
How to integrate it into your workforce strategy By Lyndy van den Barselaar, Managing Director at ManpowerGroup South Africa
The pandemic has changed
Prepare for career mobility
these employees in a different
careers and how companies
Flexible and remote working have
the company values.
view hiring, training and
cracked open the jobs market
transitioning employees.
with many workers transitioning
As such human resource
Yesterday’s outplacement
between jobs and shifting into
departments are evolving and are
designed solely as an exit
new roles and industries with
now expected to provide employees
strategy is being replaced with
ease. This is supported by Right
with insights about the job market,
outplacement’s evolving role to
Management’s study which
practical support and coaching
build career mobility and make
found that last year, 49% of
so that they have the confidence
smarter decisions in a rapidly
candidates who went through an
to take on a new role, even in a
changing workforce: career
outplacement programme moved
different industry. This results in
transition management for the
to a different industry and they are
employees expanding their skillset
entire employee lifecycle.
also more frequently changing the
and often landing new roles in
roles they perform.
more senior positions, with higher
the way that people view their
As early as 1948, Merriam
capacity and with a set of skills
pay than they had in their previous
Webster added a definition of
This trend, flexing to meet the
role. In 2020, 79% of outplacement
outplacement as “the process of
demands of an increasingly
candidates moved to a new role
easing unwanted or unneeded
fast-changing jobs market, has
with the same or higher position
executives out of a company
accelerated in the past two years
and 57% found a position with the
by providing company-paid
and shows little sign of abating.
same or higher salary.
assistance in finding them
As a culture of career mobility has
new jobs.” Fast forward to 2021,
emerged, workers have become
companies are transforming
increasingly agile. By constantly
that definition into a more
working to up-skill and develop
well-rounded approach that
staff, teams can successfully meet
considers the career journey
the new opportunities within their
for employees at every level
companies, reducing the need
from recruiting and retention to
to hire and minimise disruption,
reputation management,
career growth and exit.
whilst increasing workers’
it’s essential to protect
employability. This also primes
employees and create a
Here are three ways companies
an outgoing worker for successful
robust long-term workforce
can better integrate outplacement
and quick outplacement. And
career management strategy.”
into their overall workforce career
with goodwill established, there
management strategy:
is an opportunity to later re-hire
110 | TOP HR LEADERS
“Outplacement as part of the employment journey is not only an investment in future goodwill and
