With today's economy, more and more companies are finding themselves faced with
the situation of having to reduce headcount to remain competitive. Here are
five key factors to consider when selecting an outplacement firm if your company
is ever faced with a workforce reduction.
- Types of Services Provided. One decision you will need to make
regarding outplacement is whether your displaced workers would benefit most from
group or individual one-on-one outplacement. For the majority of outplaced
employees, if your budget permits, individual outplacement is the preferred
option since it provides one-on-one support that will help them move forward
more quickly than they would on their own.
If you decide they would benefit most from individual outplacement, you will
then need to determine what services would be most valuable to your displaced
employees. One option would be to select an outplacement firm that develops
their resume and cover letter for them. Another opt
ion would be an outplacement
firm that offers office space and a computer for the displaced worker to prepare
their own job search materials.
- Areas of Specialty. Another factor to consider when selecting an
outplacement firm is whether it is important to you that they have experience
working with the type of displaced employees you will be sending them. A
related factor is whether it is important to you that the outplacement company
specializes in dealing with companies like yours.
If their areas of specialty are important to you, review the outplacement
company's web site and other marketing materials to see what their specialty is
or ask them directly. If an outplacement firm's expertise lies in serving large
companies displacing administrative staff and your small business is displacing
experienced managers, this outplacement firm may not be the best fit for you.
- Experience with Current Job Search Practices. How important is it to
you that the outplacement firm be experienced with Internet job search
techniques? Is it likely that the Internet will play a key role in your
displaced employees' job search strategy?
If you determine that Internet savvy is an important evaluation point for an
outplacement firm, check to see whether the outplacement firm recognizes the
importance of the Internet by having a web site. Are they aware of the top
online career sites? Do they offer a servic
e to post displaced employees
resumes on these top online career sites? Do they have the ability to
distribution resumes electronically to a select group of employers and
recruiters?
- Length of Time Support is Provided. Another factor to consider when
selecting outplacement services is the amount of time you feel the displaced
worker would require outplacement support. In general, the more senior-level
the position, the longer it will take the displaced employee to find suitable
employment.
A second time factor to consider is whether the displaced worker will receive
ongoing one-on-one scheduled sessions with a career transition consultant or
whether the ongoing support merely includes access to job search support
materials.
- Costs. Outplacement costs must be considered when selecting an
outplacement firm. Check to see whether outplacement costs are clearly defined
and stated on the outplacement firm's web site and in their marketing materials.
Are you charged only if the displaced employee elects to contact the
outplacement firm for support or are you charged regardless of whether the
displaced employee receives support? Are there affordable packages available
that provide the services you feel your displaced employees would most benefit
from without providing unwanted services?
Another cost factor to consider is whether the outplacement firm gives you the
able to select outplacement services a la carte to meet your needs. Also
determine whether the outplacement company has a minimum fee requirement or
whether they will charge you only for the number of displaced employees you
actually have even if the number is as few as one.
By considering each of these five factors you can develop effective selection
criteria for deciding on an outplacement provider to best meet the needs of your
displaced employees while adhering to your budget constraints.
-Ann Hackett
Founder and President of Quest,www.QuestCareer.com, a Minneapolis-based
online career management company that specializes in providing small businesses
located throughout the world with affordable outplacement services including
resume and cover letter development, Internet resume posting, electronic resume
distribution, and one-on-one career transition consultations. Ann can be
contacted at ahackett@questcareer.com or 952-929-4197.
Copyright 2001 Quest. All Rights Reserved.
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