Virtual outplacement: Combining technology and a people-centred approach at Careerminds

With the ever-increasing pressure for businesses to cut costs and increase efficiency through restructuring, many employees may find themselves facing redundancy before retirement age. This can be extraordinarily stressful for the employees and challenging for the business. Enter virtual outplacement services.

This article will delve into outplacement services and examine how they have evolved to accommodate modern workplace trends. We’ll look at the virtual outplacement model, the challenges and opportunities it presents, and how it’s underpinned by technology.

Outplacement providers work with businesses to support employees impacted by redundancies. It ensures a smooth process for both the workforce and the business. The provider will help participants to find their feet in the job market, ultimately ensuring they land a new role as quicky as possible. To achieve this, they offer services including coaching, career guidance, CV writing, interview advice, networking opportunities, and job search support.

The outplacement provider will also ensure the company retains its top talent and supports remaining staff in their new situation. By advising on employee retention and career development, a virtual outplacement provider can boost engagement and morale both during and after the transition.

Originally, these services were provided on site and in person. As the global pandemic changed the way we look at virtual working, technology has continued to evolve. In recent years, it has disrupted and changed numerous sectors, including HR.

These days, virtual operations are the norm and not the exception. With a continued increase in remote working and a growing demand for virtual services, virtual global outplacement has become more popular than ever.

This step-change in remote work and employee expectations is well aligned with the virtual outplacement model. Technology has enabled the outplacement sector to adapt rapidly. Traditional providers are no longer able to provide the service necessary to support businesses and employees through complex transitions.

The original outplacement model involved participants meeting an available coach at their office, during standard business hours, and receiving printed resources. These days, job seekers expect more support and more flexibility. Virtual workplaces are a familiar concept to them and they are comfortable working in a virtual outplacement environment, where coaching can be provided by phone or over the internet rather than face-to-face.

Nowadays, virtual outplacement programmes have evolved to become completely flexible. They are simple to use, can fit around employee schedules, and don’t require them to attend the office in person. They can log in from anywhere, any time, from any device.

The integration of technology with outplacement services means that the model is far more convenient and cost-effective than the traditional service. And that makes it appealing not just to employees, but also to their employers.

The virtual outplacement services we offer at Careerminds are perfectly aligned with the modern expectaction for speed and easy accessibility. It’s a service that is considered a must-have for any business considering a redundancy process.

Ever since outplacement services were introduced, there have been a variety of approaches to ensuring that participants find new, meaningful work.

We’ll take a look at some of the most popular methods and what they involve. We’ll also examine how they’ve changed over time into the blended approach that sits best with modern workforces today.

Let’s look at the Group Session approach first. When the internet was still a new technology, this was a common approach to supporting transitioning staff into new roles.

Group sessions involve seminars for participants, held on-site at the company’s office. These days, it would likely involve remote workers travelling into towns and cities to access them.

The commute is a barrier to accessibility, wasting participant time and money. The other drawback to this approach, however, is that it doesn’t provide a personal service. In group sessions, no-one receives one-to-one support. Don’t forget that every employee and every job search is different, and everyone will need different amounts of time and input to achieve their desired outcome.

For these reasons, in-person group sessions are no longer considered the best option. The on-site attendance is an even greater challenge for employees who live a long distance away, have family commitments, have interviews scheduled, or work from home due to disabilities.
Basically, group sessions are too time-consuming and too impersonal, particularly when employees are accustomed to working, and job-hunting, online.

The alternative approach is completely the opposite, and involves independent, self-guided sessions.
Instead of attending sessions in person, the independent approach enables employees to direct their own job search using tools and resources provided online. The clear advantage of this is the flexibility it affords – but on the flip side it can be very isolating. In fact, it’s even more impersonal than the group sessions, as it doesn’t have the advantage of chatting with an expert and others in the same position.

Employers can prefer the independent approach, as it can be the cheapest option – which is a clear attraction for their procurement teams. However, cheaper isn’t necessarily best. It may suit the business, but not its employees – and they’re the ones needing the service.

The preferred approach to outplacement these days is a combined approach. By blending people and technology, employees can access the best of each method. Taken individually, both group and independent sessions have their drawbacks. With a combined approach, a truly personal service can be provided.

This approach involves bespoke, individualised coaching for participants, regardless of their role, seniority, or location. Support is available to them based on their exact needs, with a more personalised and tailored process than either the group or independent sessions can provide. It meets the needs of the employee, not the outplacement provider.

The combined approach uses the internet and cutting-edge technology to connect people. It cuts out the need to travel and meet in person, replacing that with eLearning tools, professional networking opportunities, webinars hosted by careers experts, and online coaching.

By combining the power of virtual technology with face-to-face video coaching, the participant received a truly personalised experience, greater control, and increased flexibility.

Careerminds has led the way in disrupting the outplacement sector and we constantly adjust our processes and improve our technology to provide the best possible service to support our clients and participants into their future.

Our holistic, personalised virtual outplacement service uses a combined approach based on the best of the methods described above. We’ve built on these further by offering unique tools and career expertise to provide virtual support to businesses and their employees for longer than any other provider.

In 2008, Careerminds was established to provide global outplacement services. Our CEO, Raymond Lee, was an HR Executive personally experiencing the problems associated with the traditional outplacement model from an employer’s perspective. That experience drove him to set up a tech-focused global outplacement service… and the rest is history. We’re now respected, not just as a leading provider of virtual outplacement, but also as an industry disruptor.

Ever since, as remote work has increased the demand for virtual support, our competitors have begun to take a similar approach. Our outplacement programmes still lead the way and set industry standards, even today.

We blend innovative job search technology with person-centred career coaching to support participants regardless of their seniority, role, or industry, wherever they are in the world.

We have a team of career experts, including career coaches, CV writers and LinkedIn specialists, who can work one-to-one with participants to meet their needs and steer their job search in the right direction. By collaborating with their own coach, employees can set goals and strategies that will help them to move forward and secure their next meaningful position.

Throughout the transition, the participant has access to their coach. In addition, they will also be able to access an online platform jam-packed with resources and tools to support their job search. Whether they need online classes, eLearning opportunities, webinars, or professional networking, there’s something for everyone, at every level, however they learn.

All of this means that we can provide a person-centred service enhanced by modern technology, resulting in support that’s available whenever your employees need it.

But what does person-centred really mean? The term “virtual” can imply impersonal, generic, low quality services – but that couldn’t be further from the truth in this situation. If you choose the right virtual outplacement service, you’ll be choosing one-to-one, bespoke support for every individual employee, delivered by careers experts.

We pride ourselves on providing accessible online resources and highly individualised coaching. Wherever possible, we provide coaches with expertise in your industry. We understand that a one-size-fits all approach doesn’t work. The healthcare sector, for example, has very different needs to banking.

We also aim to ensure that coaches and participants are a good fit for each other. The coach will guide every participant every step of the way, however they prefer to communicate – whether that be by phone, email, webchat or video call. We’ll also provide a coach with a local understanding of salaries, industry norms, and application expectations wherever possible.

Coaches will work with their assigned participants throughout the outplacement process. The coach will support each employee to understand their differing needs, strengths, weaknesses, and requirements, to create a bespoke career transition plan and pathway to placement.

At Careerminds, we’re committed to a blended approach to outplacement to enable clients to acceses the best of each method. A personal coach, combined with accessible and convenient tools, resources, and technology, mean that participants can progress at their own speed, build their confidence, and land a new role sooner.

We rely on new technology to deliver industry-leading support to our clients and participants. What outplacement resources and tools can you expect to find on the Careerminds portal?

Our virtual platform is the foundation stone of our virtual outplacement service. Here, employees can find out about the outplacement process, network with other participants, and so much more. It’s an easy-to-use service for employers and employees alike.

For employers, the portal has features including:

• Participant management. Here, you can upload participants, either in bulk or individually, to kick off their outplacement process.
• Dashboard. Here, you can access participant status charts, comprehensive reports, and programme metrics.
• Survey reports: Here, you can evaluate responses to career expert evaluations and exit surveys.
• Job posting: Here, you can advertise open vacancies and give recruiters access to post jobs that can be viewed by participants.
• Knowledge centre: Here, you can access extra resources and FAQs quickly and easily.

For employees, the eLearning platform leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to provide an exceptional and accessible job search experience. Participants can develop their understanding of the job search and career change processes, to help them to grow in confidence and successfully navigate through the transition.

The portal delivers more than just training. There’s also a professional networking platform, linking current and former participants and enabling them to network with each other, recruiters, and career experts.

The profiles on our platform are also linked to LinkedIn, enabling participants to extend their connections from Careerminds into their own networks.

Our original Perfect Match tool enables participants to compare their own CV with job adverts relevant to them. But it goes even further!
For example, it helps participants to optimise their CV by recommending target keywords for inclusion, which will help to get them noticed.

Keywords are vital on CVs, as recruiters and HR teams often carry out database searches using role-specific terms. If a CV contains the terms and keywords that are in demand for the target role, the CV is more likely to be found and selected.

Using the right keywords on a CV is therefore crucial to a successful job search. By choosing words aligned with the requirements specified in the job advert, the participant can increase their chances of success.

Careerminds also uses the Perfect Match technology to help participants to create CVs in the first place. Rather than teaching them how to write a strong CV, we actually use experts to write it for them and include relevant keywords for their target position. When it comes down to it, we remove the guesswork so the participant can spend less time endlessly tweaking their CV and more time making applications.

We were delivering virtual outplacement programmes well before the global pandemic. The recent evolution in online communication has enabled Careerminds to redefine outplacement support services and provide a holistic model that is more effective than face-to-face alone could ever be.

Every outplacement service is centred around coaching, but our approach places a greater emphasis on the relationship between the participant and the coach. Every participant is allocated their own personal coach, who will support them right through until they land their next role. In the past, coaching was provided by whoever was available and whenever schedules allowed. This resulted in a lack of consistency, reduced trust, and less personal services – which negatively impacted participant progress.

Luckily, those days are gone. Outplacement is now delivered remotely, to accommodate the modern workforce. At Careerminds, we’ve always taken that approach. Furthermore, we employ the very best coaches in the industry to ensure the success of every participant.

We offer our virtual outplacement services using high-touch technology such as Skype and Zoom. That’s because up to 90% of communication is non-verbal, according to body language experts. We believe that coaching should involve face-to-face meetings, at least for the first session, to build trust and rapport.

When the participant and the coach have established a connection in their first meeting, they can agree on the best comunication strategy for future coaching. Sometimes a daily Zoom call isn’t feasible, but messages can be exchanged quickly and easily by email or Skype. It’s also much easier to share content and record advice in writing for future reference. Our communications are adaptable to individual needs.

Participants are also able to gain familiarity with a wider range of tools, which can come in handy during virtual interviews. We ensure everyone can access our full suite of online tools, tech, and support.

Careerminds takes a unique approach to working with our participants. While our competitors provide time-limited services – usually one to six months – we prefer not to add any more pressure to the already-stressful job search process. Rather than limiting our support to an arbitrary time period, we promise support “until placement.” We base our results on participant outcomes, rather than the time spent pursuing them.

That means that we’ll support your employees until they secure a new position. We never cut off support due to time constraints and are there tor them throughout their transition. We prefer to measure our success in terms of results and outcomes. We’ll get participants into new roles, whatever their challenges and however long they need.

Having supported transitioning staff from every corner of the globe, we know that there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. Every participant, and every job search, is unique. Our adaptable support puts this understanding front and centre. We provide services that meet the individual needs of each employee. Our “until placement” promise gives employers the security of knowing that their transitioning staff have the support they need, for as long as they need.

We’re certain you won’t find another outplacement provider that can match our service in terms of a personal approach and our virtual outplacement technology. We have product demo webinars online if you’d like to find out more about our bespoke platform, whether you’re interested in eLearning, networking, CV writing or our Perfect Match tool.

We avoid a cookie-cutter approach, because we understand that a job search is as unique as the job seeker. Our coaches blend technology, online tools, and bespoke resources with emotional support and career expertise. They can support users in accessing our technology if there’s a skills gap and guide them through every aspect of our platform and their job search.

We’ve discussed the innovative technology we provide to our clients and participants throughout the outplacement programme, so the advantages of these resources are clear. Whichever outplacement provider you choose for your business, ensure that they can offer these essential services.

Careerminds removes geographical boundaries. Our cloud-based approach enables both clients and participants to access support wherever they are. No time wasted travelling to meet with coaches or attend training – everyone can enjoy the service that was previously limited to those that could visit offices. It’s accessible and inclusive and that’s our priority.

Job searching these days takes place predominantly online. Our virtual platforms let participants connect with recruiters, hiring managers, and employees of businesses around the world. Our coaches and knowledge pool span the globe. All of this means that participants can discover new opportunities wherever they are and wherever they want to be.

We offer a truly global perspective on outplacement services. If another provider can’t say the same, they may not be equipped to meet the challenges of outplacement in the modern workplace.

The greatest benefit of our virtual outplacement service is that it’s entirely online. That means participants can access support 24/7, wherever they are. Remote engagement provides the flexibilty that clients and participants need, at their convenience. Unlike other outplacement providers, we don’t limit your access to office hours.

Our service fits around our participants. Whether they’re at home waiting for a takeaway delivery or between meetings at the office, they can work through learning modules whenever it’s convenient. They can attend webinars, access job search tools, and work on their CVs around their busy work, family, and social schedules. Their coach will connect at the time that works best, however the participant prefers to communicate.

It’s equally convenient for our clients. You’ll have an online dashboard and portal support, accessible at any time. That’s why businesses love our virtual outplacement service. We combine the latest technology with a person-centred approach, offering unrivalled support and flexibility at a challenging time.

Careerminds enables you to scale your employee support cost effectively. The more people we help, the more affordable it becomes.

Virtual outplacement is a faster, more affordable service than traditional outsourcing models. It removes the cost of printed resources, travel, and physical office space. Competitor programmes have significant overheads, meaning that their costs can be prohibitive and they have to enforce time limits on their participants.

Even though we provide longer term support, “until placement,” we are usually the least expensive option. Our results speak for themselves: we successfuly transition 95% of active participants in an average of 11.5 weeks, with an 80% engagement rate.

Our flexible virtual outplacement programme enables participants to fit our support around the rest of their life. We save time and money for our clients and participants by meeting everyone’s needs, at scale, on their terms.

Participants often prefer to keep their coaching sessions private and confidential. Our virtual outplacement model guarantees that. The traditional model of group sessions in busy offices made this difficult.

Careerminds coaches understand this need for privacy. They make sure that the participant feels comfortable and confident with the coaching environment, and they eliminate distractions and interruptions. They also prioritise availability and the participant’s preferred method of communication. A phone call can easily become a video call if that’s more appropriate.

This reassurance and flexibility means that participants can develop an open, honest relationship with their coach. Whatever their current situation and career aspirations, our coaches will support and guide them.

The coaches at Careerminds get to know the people behind the career. This way, they can provide tailored feedback and guidance to their participants. They’ll ask the right questions, learn about their life, and empathise with their concerns, so that they can find the best possible way forward.

A strong relationship with their coach means that participants can truly be themselves. If the coach can’t provide a safe space for open conversation, it can create barriers that delay the job search.

Career development and job searching is a very personal matter. That’s why our coaching extends beyond just landing a new job – it also encompasses the participant’s lifestyle, personal life, and more. All of this feeds in to finding not just a job, but the perfect job.

The virtual outplacement programme provided by Careerminds enables participants to tailor their training to their specific needs and objectives. From CV writing support and LinkedIn profile optimisation to personality assessment, career coaching and training, our service fits around you.

Our online platform provides resources enabling participants to extend their knowledge at their own pace. There’s no pressure to move on or take irrelevant courses – everyone can learn at their own speed, on their own timetable.

We have taken the time to create an engaging, fun learning experience. Our resources blend reading, images, video, and audio with interactive exercises and case studies. There’s something for every learning style.

In summary, your choice of outplacement provider will be influenced by various approaches and services. Your chosen programme should meet the needs of individual employees and provide a bespoke, inclusive experience regardless of goals, timeframes, finances, or location.

The most important requirements of a virtual outplacement programme are ease of access and personalisation. Without personalisation, you risk providing unhelpful support that leaves your employees no better off. Without ease of access, you risk wasting time and money on a service that employees ultimately don’t use.

The Careerminds approach is a surefire bet for the modern workforce. It combines cutting-edge technology with a person-centred approach to provide a service that outstrips its competition and eliminates the barriers raised by traditional methods.

Keen to find out more about Careerminds virtual outplacement? We’re here when you’re ready to talk.

At Careerminds, people are our priority. That’s why we provide bespoke career management solutions for employees across the globe at every level. And we do it more cost-effectively than other providers.

Chat with our experts

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.