10 Questions to Ask an Outplacement Provider

Putting the Human Back in Human Resources:

10 Questions to Ask an Outplacement Provider

W H I T E P A P E R

Putting the Human Back in Human Resources:10 Questions to Ask An Outplacement Provider 2

In HR, you make difficult decisions all the time.

Some of the most difficult choices you have to face are when layoffs are necessary. Whats the best way to handle the delicate balance between doing whats best for the company, and doing whats right for your former employees? And how do you work to protect your companys image and brand now that your laid-off employees are sharing news of their layoff all across social networks? Is there anything that can be done from an HR perspective to protect all the parties involved?

One benefit you can provide to your displaced workers is an outplacement solution. The very gesture of helping laid off employees find new jobs creates a sense of continued corporate loyaltyeven after the employee has been laid off. However, selecting the best one to meet your individual needs can be a challengeunless you have a specific goal in mind, and know what to ask when youre trying to find the right solution. Follow this guide to make the most of your conversations with outplacement companies, and decide, from the answers you get, what would be the best solution for you.


Most outplacement firms offer basically the same services; they vary widely in the philosophy and business model. Its important to have a solid understanding of this changing and growing industry so that you can level-set your expectations with such firms, and you can also educate your employees about what they should expect when you offer them outplacement services.

Outplacement solutions help laid-off employees find jobs. How do they do it? Outplacement companies work with displaced employees, either individually or in a group setting, and help prepare them for the job search. They provide training, resume services, classes, seminars, and webinars on a variety of job-search related topics such as how to deal with difficult interview questions, how to tailor a resume to a job posting, how to use social networking to find a job, how to network with associates, how to write custom-ized cover letters, and more.

Outplacement solutions do not find jobs for people. They dont place employees into jobs. You and your employees should not mistake an outplacement firm for a recruiting agency, and they do not do the work for the employee. Their value comes, however, in education, counseling, and provid-ing job leads. The newest method for communicating with each employee and tailoring the job search to every individual is through advanced technology.

At the heart of that type outplacement program is a popular online model that enables employees to get a consistent level of service, no matter where theyre located. With a web-based person-alized job portal, and virtual support from an industry profes-sional, employees can feel taken care of after a layoffand not have to incur the expense of travel.

My transition specialist was highly effective as well as diplomatic and supportive, said RiseSmart Transi-tion Concierge client Sandra Perry. He unerringly identified flaws and gaps, pointed out what needed to be done, and shared relevant experiences. In addition, he went out of his way to respond to questions and offer suggestions. I not only learned to trust him, but also developed great respect for his expertise.

In the eyes of your transitioning employees, your organization is reflected in the quality and effectiveness of the outplacement you provide for them. Thats why its so important to choose a solution that offers a quality and service level that matches your own employment brand.

What do outplacement solution companies do? What dont they do?

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A cornerstone of every outplace-ment solution is resume services. Traditionally, resume services in the outplacement world has meant sending displaced employ-ees to group workshops on how to write resumes, or providing a templated, computer-generated resume. This one-size-fits all approach is often ineffective, and produces less-than-desirable results. According to a Wall Street Journal article, mass-produced, canned plug in resumes have hindered job seekers. One out-placement client, the article reports, had her resume sent to a prospective employer with a cover letter that included a typo

and bore her signaturewhich she says she never saw. However, today, because resumes are so personal, and their delivery is almost 100% online, some compa-nies offer higher levels of service.

Other companies offer a critique of the employees existing resume, and offer suggestions for layout and for optimizing it for computer-based keyword searches. Still others provide a complete consul-tation with a Certified Professional Resume Writer, who then works collaboratively with the former employee to create an entirely new resume and cover letter.

What do you mean when you say you offer resume services?

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It can be devastating to lose a job, and thats why some outplace-ment companies offer immediate grief counseling. Think of your goals in contracting with an outplacement company. Are you trying to help your former employ-ees feel better about having lost their job, or do you want to help them get back to work and get on with their lives? You might have different goals, so its best to ask about specific levels of counseling.

Theres no question about it. Some clients need grief counsel-ing, said Karen Stevens, SPHR, Director, Client Services, RiseSmart. Losing a job is an emotional experience, and they have to learn to let go of the baggage and move on. But helping laid off workers with their emotional issues is not in an outplacement companys

core competencies, no matter what they tell you. Its someone elses job to do that; a qualified counselor or therapist. Thats not what outplacement companies are for. Outplacement exists to help clients find a new job. If theyre not doing that, but rather spending your money to do something theyre not qualified for, youve hired the wrong service. Here are the types of counseling outplace-ment firms offer, and how they compare:

Grief Counseling vs. Career Counseling Some outplacement services offer none at all, some offer grief counseling, and yet others offer solid career advice, assigning a transition specialist to work one-on-one with each employee to determine goals, create a job

What sort of counseling do you offer?

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search strategy, and provide personal coaching to help get them to their next jobs. Different outplacement services have widely varying philosophies about counseling, so it is imperative that you choose a service whose offerings in terms of counseling match your goals for your exiting employees. Do you want to train your former employees to become better job seekers, or do you want them to get help finding a job quickly?

In Person Seminars or Webinars? The question remains as to whether you think its better to keep laid off employees together in a group setting, working with an outplacement counselor, or whether you believe your employees would do better working individually with a transition specialist who focuses in on the unique needs of each employee. Some of the larger outplacement firms have offices in several cities, and employees must drive to those cities for in-person, group seminars. Smaller, more modern companies have a virtual model that allows them to offer a consistent level of service, regardless of the employees or the companys location.

Really effective outplacement pays no attention to borders or distanceits available online, at any time, through a combination of online technology and human, one-on-one interaction over the phone, email, chat, or video conference. This is a new model

for transition services, says Mark Squiers, executive managing director, ACS, A Xerox Company. By eliminating costly traditional services like office space and group seminars, which have been found to be of low value to em-ployees, the focus is on aggres-sively helping workers find a new job.

An Individualized ApproachOne of the most important benefits of the online model, aside from the obvious breaking of the distance barrier, is the individualized attention each employee receives. Although the employees may have come from a similar situationthe same company, the same type of jobonce they have separated from the company, goals may be very different. A layoff can be an opportunity to explore new options. Perhaps an employee is interested in a new field, a differ-ent industry, furthering his or her education, or starting a business. Taking an individualized approach to outplacement lets each employee discover the each new option with the personal guidance of a career transition specialist who is there to address that persons concerns only.

In the one-on-one model, each transitioning employee is paired with a transition specialist who is already familiar with the job seekers field, so they already speak the same language, professionally. Often the language barrier is broken there as wella good outplacement service will


This is the make-or-break question for any outplacement solution. Some outplacement companies do little or nothing at all to actively match jobs with employees. The job search aid many companies provide is little more than a list of resourcesonline job boards, local career centers, and sugges-tions for networking groups to join. Other companies might provide moreand its vitally important for both you, as the employer, and the transitioning employee, to understand exactly what that service level is. Here are some options to look into:

An Online Portal Imagine giving each employee a centralized place to manage his or her entire job search. A personalized, online portal allows job seekers to log in to see content customized to personal career interests. Each employee sees relevant and constantly changing articles, notifications about networking groups in his or her area, and can click directly to links about local upcoming career events. Most of all, the employee

can use the portal as the starting point for the job search. A well-designed, state-of-the-art portal includes frequent job postings pushed directly to each employee, gleaned from all over the Internet, and hand-selected for each job seeker by career specialists. Within the portal, the job seeker can also strike out on his or her ownlooking for similar jobs, and using the portals built-in tools to research the companies, find social networking connections within companies, and with whom to share jobs, and to make on-the-fly decisions about the appropriate-ness of a job by using the portals built-in tools, like salary calcula-tors, maps, and more.

Web Mining Technology and Human Filtering There are millions of jobs available, even in the worst of times. But the web is so enormous; those jobs could be hidden. No one has enough time to find job postings on every companys web site, every job board, and every social networking site, every day. Its easy to miss the perfect opportunity.

How do you help employees find new jobs?

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pair a specialist and employee who speak the same languages in general, to help ensure maximum learning and communication. During each session the transition specialist can do anything from help an employee talk through an upcoming interview, strategize the job search, discuss the pros and cons of various opportunities, de-brief on recently-passed

interviews, and so much more. Different companies have varying policies about the amount of time each employee can spend with a transition specialist, if that service is offered. Find out whether the outplacement company offers transitioning employees unlimited one-on-one time with the specialist.


Once youve selected a provider you like, youll find that there are other options available within the services. Chances are, companies lay off employees at all different levelsfrom front line managers and executives to entry level staff. It isnt necessary to offer the same level of service to everyone. So make sure you get a good idea what sort of services are available to each levelthey come at different price points, so you wont waste money on services a transi-tioning employee doesnt need.

Executive ServicesCorporate executives unique needs include reputation manage-ment. These individuals have been the face of your company, and even when they separate from the organization, they are often still as-sociated with it. When executives get laid off, other people talk about it, post online about it, and more. An excellent outplacement solution will work with you and with the executives on a plan to manage the public perception of those executives, and keep

What other services do you offer employees?

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Powerful, effective outplacement solutions offer semantic search engine that mines the web every day and returns relevant job postings that others might not find. The concept of semantic searchthat is to say, an intelli-gent search that understands the meanings of key words and phrases and matches them to job seeker preferences much in the same way other types of online relationship services work can predict with much greater accuracy the chance the job listing will be a good fit for the seeker. No web mining system is perfect, however. Its vitally important for you as a buyer of outplacement services to understand that technology alone is not the differentiator.

Semantic search is very powerful. Any service can mine the web using resume keywords, but web

mining software isnt smart enough to figure out that a Manager might be the same as a Supervisor, or that a content strategist is also a writer. Semantic search technology understands that, and can come up with more relevant matches. But just like you would never let an automated system manage your personal finances without keeping track of them, you dont want to let a computer alone pick out jobs for people, either. That takes a human eye, someone whos trained to match people with jobs. The computer makes the first cut, but the final matches should come from a real person.

Look for an outplacement solution that combines semantic search with human filtering to ensure your laid-off employees are getting only the most relevant, best-matched positions, with no fluff.


Can anyone hang out a shingle and call themselves an outplace-ment service? In theory, yes, they can. But any organization looking to partner with an out-placement service is going to do their homework. Organizations should choose a provider with a proven track record of success for a multitude of companies in varying industries. The career transition experts should have a certification as a transition specialist, backed up with several years experience in a corporate HR department or as a recruiter. The outplacement provider should pair transitioning employees with

Certified Professional Resume Writers, if you choose to offer employees resume services. Dont rely on companies that provide templates, or give ideas to take home and create a do-it-yourself resume.

Measuring SuccessIt can be difficult to pin outplace-ment services on their success levels. Did participants find a job within the allotted program time frame as a direct result of the service? Its hard to get accurate data since some clients leave mid-program and others dont notify the firm when they land

What are your qualifications as an outplacement solution?

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positive buzz going about both the individual and the organiza-tion.

Its also true that high level execu-tives have often been with the organization for a long timeand may have no idea how to conduct an online job search using social media like Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter, and, in a high-visibility role, there is no margin for error. Make sure your outplacement source has plenty of experience with public relations, and has proven expertise helping top executives preserve both personal and public reputations.

Multi-level PackagesNewer, less-public facing employees dont need such in-depth reputation management, so theres no reason to pay for

executive level service. While some of the needs may be the samesuch as learning to protect privacy online during a job search, how to use social networking effectively, and resume updates, the level of service required might not be as intense. This is the category into which most layoffs fall, so be sure the outplacement providers standard package covers all the basics any employee would need. Make sure that includes exclusive webinars led by industry professionals who can help employees at any level succeed in a job search, and of course, personalized attention with a blind eye to job title. Be sure your outplacement provider offers varying levels of service, but make sure, too, that you, too, choose the appropriate level of service based on each employee.


There is no one size fits all when it comes to outplacement solutions. Providing office space, for example, doesnt necessarily make sense in areas where those ameni-ties are readily available, however, and it would be more of a burden than a benefit to make those employees drive to an office to look for a job. In order to get the highest opt-in and success rates,

look for an organization that can create a multitude of scenarios for your employees, based on location, employee preference, and your price point. Your goal in partnering with an outplacement firm is to help your former employees find jobs, so choose one that can do that in the most effective way possible, for the most peopleno matter where in the world they are.

What sort of flexibility do you offer?

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jobs, reports the same 2009 Wall Street Journal article. Smaller, more nimble outplacement companies that work hard to develop relationships with each client as individuals dont have that problem. In fact, when a transition specialist has worked closely with a client, its often the transition specialist that the client calls first with good news about having landed a job. Its important to choose an outplacement firm that strongly believes in building such close ties with its clients, because theyll be able to deliver accurate success rates based on

those relationships.

Outplacement clients really like to have such personal attention, said Lori Beemer, associate director of employee relations for the biotech firm Gilead. Its not only vital to keeping the client engaged and getting the most from the service, but its also good for the outplace-ment companys track record. When theyve developed that personal rapport, its much easier to ascertain specific levels of successand when youre consid-ering an outplacement company, you need that kind of specificity.


Typically, participation in an outplacement program lasts three to six months, but it could be longer, depending on the service type and level you choose. That 90-120 day range is based on the average length of time Americans are out of work following a layoff, which currently stands at about six months.

The job of a good outplacement solution is to beat the oddsthat

is, to help laid-off employees find new jobs ahead of the national average. Naturally, no outplace-ment company can make guaran-tees, because the individual behavior and engagement level of each employee is going to be different, but look for a company that has a solid track record of helping laid-off employees find jobs in about half the time of the national average.

How long does the outplacement program last, and what guarantees do you offer?

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Costs are determined based on the type and specific level of service you choose for each employee. The cost can be different for each employee. A good outplacement solution will conduct a needs assessment, and create a quote based on those needs, the number of employees affected, the length of time youd like for each employee to be part of the program, and the level of engagement you require from the outplacement staff. Some outplacement companies can be

on-site to help your HR staff on the day of the layoff notification, provide notification training to your HR staff, either in person or online. You can choose a virtual solution or an in-person group-oriented package, or a combina-tion. An outplacement organiza-tion should offer basic packages, standard packages, executive packages, and custom packages, and be able to come to you with an exact price, based on a specific number of opt-ins.

What does an outplacement solution cost?

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To fully understand your ROI, choose a provider that gives your organization absolute transpar-ency into every phase of the process. Look for a provider that gives you access to individual and group reports whenever you need them. Understand, however, that HR privacy laws apply to outplace-ment services. It is not possible to provide specific information about any individual employee in your program if that employee has indicated that he or she does not want that information shared. This is a rare occurrence, and when it does happen, that individuals information is nonetheless includ-ed in aggregate reports. For the vast majority of employees in the program, you should be able to get individual records about each employees key milestones: joins the program, engagement levels,

job search process, and when they get new jobs.

Look for a company that provides this information in an easy-to-access, easy to use software-as-a-service (SaaS) based platform, so you and your HR staff can generate ROI reports on the fly. If you can quickly generate charts that show outplacement costs verses the cost of severance and unemployment taxes over the full course of the outplacement program, the delta will clearly show a dramatic return on investment in a tangible sense.The intangible ROI, comes in the costs saved by preserving your employment brand, retaining employees, and maintaining your organizations good nameeven when youve had to lay off em-ployees.

What is my return on investment?

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Choosing an Outplacement Provider:The RiseSmart Advantage

Layoffs are an inevitable part of every organizations business landscape in todays marketplace. How an organization handles the layoffs, both internally and externally, speaks volumes for its integrity, and sends a very strong message to the public about how it perceives its employees. When the time comes in the cycle again to hire, your organization will rank high among the most desired companies to work for.

One of the best ways a company facing layoffs can gracefully handle the situation is to engage with an outplacement company that provides a high level of professionalism, expertise, service, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and transparency to both the employees and the organization. The outplacement company should blend cutting edge high technology and the human touch to bring relevant jobs and job-hunting training to each employee, and, above all, should treat each employee with individuality, caring, and compassion. An outplacement solution should be able to work anywhere, morphing its core program with local limitations, language, and customs, and must provide a consistent level of high-quality service to every employee in the program, anywhere, and offer the same type of listening, coaching, and reporting quality to anyone in the organization that engages them.


RiseSmart Outplacement Options

At RiseSmart, we believe outplacement should be a win-win for both transitioning employees and the organization. The RiseSmart solution delivers a modern, efficient, and cost-effective approach to outplacement. Coupled with a caring, personalized approach that spans its customized, dynamic portal to the unlimited one-on-one time with a Transition Specialist, RiseSmart is the catalyst thats bringing jobs to laid-off employees 50% faster than the national average*. In addition to the individualized, virtual contact, take a look at what else RiseSmart provides:

Resume Services

Virtual Service Delivery

Dynamic Portal

EachemployeeispairedwithaProfessionalResumeWriter

Resumewritershaveexperienceintheemployeesfield

Resumewriterscreateentirelynewresumes,coverlettersand social networking profiles

Employeescaninteractwiththeportalortheirtransitionspecialist from the comfort of their own home

Coaching,mentoring,professionalseminars,andjobleadsare delivered online and over the phone

RiseSmartisnotconfinedbybordersorbuildings,soemployees get a consistently high level of service no matter where they live

TransitionConicergeisacompletejobsearchmanagementtool

Ever-changing,smartjobsearchtoolthatlearnseachemployees preferences and gets smarter with each feedback interaction

Within48hoursofjoiningtheprogram,employeesstarttogetjob leads delivered to their Job Inbox

Employeescanresearchcompanies,makesocialnetworking connections, attend webinar, keep track of interview, make notes, check commute distances, and read articles and blogs chose especially for them

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2011


Social Media Integration

Corporate Support

Client Services is always available.

Easy-to-find Content

Up-to-the-minute,relevantcontentfromindustryexperts

Contentispusheddirectlytotheportal,basedontheemployees preferencesno need to search through libraries

RiseSmartsendsnotificationsforupcominglocalnetworking events to employees, so they dont even have to search

Employeescansharejobsandstatusesdirectlyfromwithinthe portal to more than 200 worldwide social media sites

Linkedinintegrationallowsemployeestocheckwhoheorshemay know at a particular company

Hooversintegrationallowsemployeestoreadcompanystatsand news, all without ever leaving the portal

Trackeveryaspectofyouroutplacementprogram

Keeptabsonformeremployeeprogressandgeneratedetailed reports on-the-fly

Determineactualdollarreturnoninvestmentwithreal-time analytics

RiseSmartClientServicesprofessionalskeepincontinuouscontact with you to address any issues or questionsso you never have any concerns.

RiseSmartClientServicesishappytoworkwithyoutocustomize any service we offer, to ensure maximum satisfaction with the program, communication, and results.

For more information about RiseSmart, visit www.risesmart.com or call 877-384-0004, option 1.

About RiseSmart

RiseSmart provides next-generation outplacement solutions to companies of all sizes. We leverage a common technology platform and proven methodologies to help corporations with their transition needs quickly and cost effectively.

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10 Questions to Ask an Outplacement Provider