Choosing the best outplacement coaching services: a guide

As a HR professional, you know that, sometimes, workforce changes are unavoidable. Unfortunately, it’s likely that the weight of difficult decisions will fall to you when redundancies are in progress. Navigating these transitions can be demanding, but it’s important to ensure that your departing employees move on smoothly, with the company’s reputation intact. When these challenging issues arise, finding the right outplacement coaching service is non-negotiable.

Here, we’ll look at what outplacement coaching is, how it can benefit your business, and why Careerminds is unique in offering a bespoke service to businesses and participants alike. We’ll uncover outplacement coaching essentials and delve into the ground-breaking approach that makes Careerminds stand out, as well as showcasing some real-life participant experiences. 

Outplacement coaching is a specific type of career guidance, targeted at supporting individual participants transitioning out of their current roles. This is often as a result of organisational changes such as restructuring or downsizing, resulting in redundancies. 

Outplacement coaching focuses on helping individuals to navigate the challenges arising from job loss and supporting them into new roles. It recognises both the personal and professional impact of the changes, providing strategies, tools, and advice to enable employees to manage the transition successfully.

Career transition coaches provide the support that employees need to process the emotional impact of changes, overcome barriers, and regain their professional confidence. By taking a holistic approach, coaches can provide practical support on both a personal and professional level, guiding individuals along a path of growth and discovery. 

In summary, outplacement coaching provides an all-round support service that gives individuals the skills, resources, and positive mindset necessary to navigate a complex job market and successfully transition into a new role. 

The outplacement coach is just one piece of the outplacement service jigsaw. The coach will support each participant in developing individual career strategies. They work closely with every employee to evaluate their strengths, skills, and goals, helping them identify suitable next steps in terms of industry and role. 

Outplacement coaching also supports participants with CV and LinkedIn profile optimisation, interview preparation, and advice on networking. Together, these services empower individuals and build their confidence, enabling them to represent themselves positively in the job market. 

Career coaches can also provide insight into current trends and dynamics within the job market and specific industries, so that participants can make informed decisions about their next steps. 

While every outplacement provider has the same objective – to place your outgoing staff into new roles – the way they achieve this can vary dramatically. That’s especially true when we come to outplacement coaching. 

Consider these key areas when evaluating the various approaches to outplacement coaching:

It’s important that any outplacement coaching service you consider has expertise in your industry or field. A coach who knows about the specific requirements and challenges in your area will have a deeper understanding of the needs of your business and your employees. If they are familiar with trends and processes in your industry, they’ll be able to provide more relevant, tailored guidance that will significantly increase each participant’s chances of success in their target market. 

You know that the job market moves quickly, which means coaching services need to be responsive. A good outplacement coach will offer on-demand support, aligned with the calendars and needs of your staff. A flexible approach will encompass in-person meetings, video calls, phone calls, texts, emails, and even online messaging, to meet your staff wherever they are, whenever they need help. Coaches who provide real-time help can help reduce pressure on employees and significantly improve their ability to navigate the job market when a redundancy is hanging over their head. 

Effective outplacement coaching in today’s digitally-enabled climate requires an IT-savvy approach. You’ll need a coach who can use technology to offer cutting-edge solutions such as online careers fairs, virtual networking opportunities, digital job search tools, and career management software for real-time results reporting. 

A cookie-cutter approach to outplacement service will almost certainly fail to live up to expectations. That’s because every employee is unique, and so is their career path. Find an outplacement coach who will commit to understanding the goals, needs, and personal situation of every single participant. With a bespoke, personalised approach, career guidance can be tailored to ensure success. The employee will experience a supportive career transition, as the coaching strategies will align with their expectations, aspirations, and personal challenges. 

The job market doesn’t stay still. Economic pressures, technical progress, and industry changes combine to drive constant change and movement. The best outplacement coaching services stay abreast of these changes and ensure that coaches always have the most up-to-date knowledge of current trends in the job market. That way, they can provide relevant, on-point advice regarding in-demand skills, potential job opportunities, and employer expectations. This insight enables participants to approach their job hunt with a competitive advantage.

It’s important to consider the duration of the outplacement services on offer. A worthwhile and comprehensive programme will provide long-term support, to accommodate the changing needs of participants as they progress through their career transition. Most outplacement coaching services are only available for a limited period – from a few weeks to a few months. Very few offer support until a participant is placed in a new role. The Careerminds “until placement” offer reflects our commitment to working with every individual until they have successfully transitioned into their next position. 

To meet the unique requirements of every participant, we tailor our outplacement coaching to each client business at Careerminds. We’re committed to a people-first approach, providing an integrated and supportive career transition service to every employee impacted by workforce changes. 

This people-first approach sets us apart from our competitors, and also ensures that we provide a cost-effective solution for your business. We know that organisational change has a financial impact and we strive to provide value by offering a comprehensive package that doesn’t damage your bottom line. Our people-first focus enables us to prioritise individual success while contributing to the overall well-being of your workforce. 

What makes Careerminds stand out among other outplacement coaching providers? Let’s look at how our innovative approach benefits your employees and your business. 

An unexpected career transition can be daunting and stressful. At Careerminds, we understand that and will be by your side as your partner throughout the process. 

We’re proud of our results. A 95% placement rate means that our participants enjoy a successful transition, with most landing new (and better) jobs in only 11.5 weeks. That’s three times faster than average!

We move quickly. Participants connect with their personal outplacement coach within 24 hours of becoming eligible, which means they can kick off their transition straight away. 

Other unique services that raise us head and shoulders above our competitors include: 

• Limitless support: No-one is as committed to participant success as we are. Each one of your employees is entitled to unlimited support from their career coach and our other experts. Unlike our competitors, we don’t place any time constraints on our support. Typically, participants receive four times more personal coaching than they’d get from a traditional outplacement programme. 

• Personal branding: Our experts will help participants to elevate their personal brand. We’ll connect them with CV and LinkedIn profile specialists, ensuring they’re presenting the right professional image online and with every application. This approach significantly speeds up their transition to a new role. 

• Global expertise: With a global outplacement model, we can combine local expertise with global strategies. We have experts in every major market and a centralised approach, meaning that you can access the best of both worlds. 

• Up-to-the-minute reporting: Our innovative career management software means that you’ll be able to access comprehensive, 24/7 insights into the results of your outplacement programme. You’ll also have access to benchmarks, industry trends, and best practice guidance. 

• Partnership approach: We’ll work alongside you to develop bespoke solutions for impacted employees at every level of your business – from junior staff through to senior executives. Our commitment to working as a true partner places your company’s unique needs at the heart of our service. 

We can tell you about the benefits of the Careerminds outplacement coaching service all day, but to really understand the difference we can make, we should look at some real-life examples. 

Careerminds tailors its service not just to your business, but to your impacted employees too. Whatever stage they’re at – in their career or their personal life – we’re committed to working with them to provide personalised support. 

Here, we’ve shared some case studies from our participants to show how Careerminds has been a constant source of advice and support through their personal career transition. 

Steve had a great network, but was the only breadwinner in his family. Therefore, he needed to make progress quickly. Waiting weeks to speak to a career coach wasn’t an option. He already had an interview lined up for the following week, so he needed immediate contact with his personal outplacement coach. Speaking to his coach within 24 hours of starting the programme was invaluable for Steve, and enabled him to approach his interview with new insight and confidence. 

Mary had been employed at the same company for over 20 years, so was unfamiliar with the current job search landscape and the technical tools needed to secure a new role. She was able to speak with her Careerminds coach three times a week until she was successful in landing a new role. With support from her coach, she positioned herself as a tech-savvy candidate for her next position. 

Roberto had enjoyed a long and productive career and was ready to move towards retirement. He was interested in landing a part-time position, and wanted help with writing his LinkedIn profile so that he could highlight his skills, experience, and interests. He was able to access both career coaching and retirement planning services through the same Careerminds programme, easing his transition into the next exciting stage of his life. 

As you can see with these case studies, Careerminds is fully committed to providing personalised outplacement coaching services. A one-size-fits-all approach is never acceptable for us. We recognise the unique needs and goals of each participant, providing holistic, effective, meaningful support on an individual level. 

We don’t just promise people-focused services – we deliver them, too. We make sure that every career transition is fruitful and fulfilling for everyone. 

Our journey into the outplacement experience has demonstrated the value and impact of these services and shown how Careerminds provides a best-in-class solution. 

To summarise our findings: 

As a specialised form of career support, outplacement coaching guides individuals from their current employment into new roles. It does this by steering them through the emotional impact of a job loss to land new opportunities. 

An outplacement coach supports the career transition by assessing employee skills, developing bespoke career strategies, and guiding participants towards their goal. They can assist with expert services including CV writing, LinkedIn profile optimisation, interview preparation, and job market insights. 

We recommend that you prioritise finding coaches that offer flexible, on-demand coaching, a people-first approach, and limitless programme access. Outplacement coaching has the most impact when it can be accessed without time constraints, for as long as the participant needs in order to secure a new role. 

The Careerminds outplacement service offers a cost-effective, people-first solution. Our commitment is matched by our exceptional results – a 95% placement rate, with an average time-to-land of 11.5 weeks. 

At Careerminds, we’re dedicated to walking alongside you as your career transition partner, providing personalised, limitless, high-impact outplacement coaching. We aim to understand the specific needs of every participant, moving beyond the traditional outplacement model to provide a cutting-edge, transformative experience for every individual impacted by workforce changes.

If your business is considering workforce downsizing or restructuring, outplacement services are well worth considering. Why not speak to one of our career specialists? They’ll be able to answer your questions and chat through our outplacement process in more detail. Find out if Careerminds is the right outplacement provider for your business.

Jen David

Jen is a careers writer and CV specialist, with over 13 years' experience in the job search sector. Find out more by connecting with her on LinkedIn or visiting her website.