Outplacement Blogs
Outplacement services come in a wide range of packages. They’re built to meet the needs of staff at all levels of seniority and to meet the needs of employers and employees having all sizes of budget.
These packages include one-to-one coaching, done-for-you services, group coaching and CV writing and interview preparation.
Yet no matter how large or small the budget, there’s one type of service that’s a winner across the board with employers and employees alike: online outplacement. Online outplacement services often serve as the foundation of any outplacement package thanks to the enormous benefits they deliver.
All training and coaching styles have their advantages and disadvantages. Groups provide mutual support to employees and are more affordable for the employer. Individual coaching offers bespoke and personal guidance, but it’s expensive. Services such as CV-writing and interview practice are great, but not everyone wants or needs them.
But online outplacement forms a bedrock of information, job-search facilities, skills and personality tests and structure as the foundation of a successful job search.
There are many reasons why online outplacement is so popular and useful. But ultimately, it’s down to the fact that it puts you, the employee, in control of your situation. Redundancy can leave you feeling out of control and emotionally battered, so having control of your job search and the freedom to undertake it in the way that works best for you is a big plus.
Let’s look at the full range of benefits offered by an online outplacement facility.
The revolutionary impact of online outplacement services
Although redundancy is rarely welcomed, it does bring some desirable benefits. It certainly gives you a break from your hectic routine. For once, you’re not the one crammed onto the commuter train or feeling frustrated when you’re stuck in traffic. Your life isn’t ruled by your alarm clock and regulated by your working hours.
This is why being able to work online can be so helpful. After all, if you don’t have to commute, you can use that time for your job search. You may decide to use your redundancy period to step back from your hectic lifestyle and have a rethink about what you want and how you want to live your life. An online outplacement service means you can work on your job search when it suits you – and do it in a way that allows you to do a training course or explore options such as becoming a contractor or even starting your own business.
When you use an online system, you can decide how many hours a day you’re going to commit to your job search. If you want to find work very quickly, you’ll have the opportunity to work longer hours. If you want to take a step back for a while, you can continue your search at a slower pace.
For employers, being able to offer online outplacement means they can provide a service that truly meets the needs of their staff. In fact, online outplacement has revolutionised the way employers now help their staff at this difficult time. Employers can also avoid bringing their staff back into the organisation to attend workshops or group programmes. This makes a job search far easier for staff members as it frees up time and money used for travel.
Unlimited support
Having services available online means the employee can benefit from unlimited support and advice. Support can be accessed at any time, so the employee doesn’t get stuck waiting for help. Being able to find answers to questions immediately while taking tests and accessing information at any time means there’s no need to wait for someone else to provide what the job-searcher needs.
The alternative to an online system is individual coaching or group work, both of which offer only limited access to support. That means there are only so many hours available to get help and that those hours are only available according to a pre-arranged timetable.
The period following redundancy can be full of ups and downs in terms of job-seeking motivation, energy and emotional buoyancy. So if support is only available for the immediate period following being let go, a former employee may not be in the right state of mind to use it effectively.
This is where having an online service with unlimited support and resources available comes into its own. This way it’s the job seeker who decides the best time to access the support they need, rather than somebody else.
No travel needed
Being made redundant is often traumatic, which can be emotionally exhausting. Having a period where you aren’t required to travel can be a relief. There’s no need to get up early, fight your way into an office and rub shoulders with all the other gainfully employed commuters.
When the travel element is cancelled out, it allows you more time and space for your job search. Your energy isn’t depleted by the daily routine or the demands of being somewhere at a certain time.
Having some time away from the routine of work can be a challenge, but it provides you time for rest and reflection after what’s likely been a tumultuous period. This is essential for recovery and for having time to consider your future and what you want.
Of course, the other key benefit of not having to travel is that it usually reduces costs. There are exceptions, though. If you had a company car as part of your benefits package, you may not have access to a vehicle after redundancy. Equally, if you have to travel by public transport, you might need to get a refund or change your renewal date.
Maximum job-search time
The key benefit of an online job search facility is the fact that it’s constantly available. Not only does that mean there’s constant support for you as you undertake your job search. There are no restrictions or limitations on when the information and support is available, which means that job-search time can be maximised. With a service that requires someone to attend a series of workshops or see a careers coach in person, the job search time is limited. You’re also disadvantaged by being on someone else’s timetable. Search time is rigid and that cuts the amount of time that can be spent on the job search.
The flexibility of an online system means you can fit your job-search around other commitments or when it suits you best, whether that’s at night or early in the morning. Even better, if you want to reduce the time it might take to get another position, you can choose to work at you job search for longer. As the service is available 24/7, there’s no need to restrict the time spent on the search.
More freedom
Online outplacement may rely on the motivation of the job-searcher to drive forward and put into action their job search, but it’s the sense of freedom to choose their own approach that many employees report enjoying the most.
Group programmes or those delivered from the employer’s offices come with schedules and limitations imposed by another organisation. That means the job search is restricted. There may only be access to information, guidance and support at specific times. This can be frustrating when the main focus needs to be moving on to a new role.
For the employee who’s been constrained by office routines and hours, having the level of freedom offered by an online service available at all times is very welcome. Restrictions are lifted and the employee can decide how, when and where to conduct their search. They decide on whether they sit in a coffee shop or at home, on whether they get up early to get their search underway early or whether to do it at night.
After redundancy, many employees are keen to explore the potential for a career change, returning to education, moving into a new industry or sector or starting a business. With an online outplacement service, they can organise their time and their job search in the most productive way for them. They can do far more easily with an online outplacement service than with other forms of outplacement.
Value for money
For employers, value for money is critical when making redundancies. No organisation worth its salt wants to palm off their staff with low-value outplacement that doesn’t deliver a result. On the other hand, it doesn’t want to break the bank either.
This is where online outplacement comes into its own, because it has the capability to deliver far greater value for money than one-to-one or group work on their own.
By offering a wide range of resources and facilities, and the fact that it’s available 24/7, online outplacement delivers a far higher return on investment than individual or group work. This means the employee is far more likely to get the result they want – a new job.
In a nutshell
Clearly, the better the outplacement service available to staff, the greater the overall benefit to both employer and employee. With online outplacement, the employee has greater access to the support, information and facilities they need to conduct a successful job search. For the employee, online outplacement offers freedom, flexibility and the opportunity to maximise their job search efforts so they can get a result fast. For the employer, it offers great value for money because it delivers results.
So, online outplacement is a win-win resource that provides a solid foundation for a successful job search.
Do reach out to us to gain support or advice about how we can help you find the perfect job.
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