Outplacement Services refer to services offered by organizations undergoing downsizing activities. These services help affected employees through the transition and assist them in re-employment efforts. The services can be provided by the organization, but are usually provided by third party consultancies.
It is recognized that employees whose positions have been made redundant undergo a very stressful time in their lives. They have to deal with the practical aspects of being unemployed such as financial issues, as well as needing to locate employment in a market that potentially has changed. There are also potential psychological effects that may result such as negative emotions arising due to loss of employment and the stress of having to deal with a potentially life changing situation.
Outplacement services provide services that assist employees in dealing with both the practical and psychological aspects of this transition. They provide counselling services to affected employees to help them cope with the psychological aspects of the transition. They also provide skills training via workshops or through individual sessions in areas such as resume writing, preparation for interviews and job search skills to facilitate any of the re-employment efforts of the affected employees.
Outplacement services provide both benefits to the organization and to the employees. The employees are provided with resources and support to help them through this transitional period, while organizations mitigate some of the uncertainty and stresses associated with such periods of downsizing for both departing and remaining employees.
