Helping displaced workers with their new career search is more than just a nice thing for companies to do. It has many real benefits for the employer as well. In fact, many of the benefits that are achieved by offering outplacement services to former workers are immeasurable, because rather than creating a tangible benefit, they actually prevent harm. As laying off or terminating any employee always comes with risks, anything that a company can do to mitigate those risks should be considered. Implementing a thorough outplacement program for workers who are leaving is one step that companies can take that will pay off by saving the company’s name and their brand’s reputation.
Social Media Damage Control
In today’s social media crazed world, company reputations can be damaged in no time. And let’s face it, once you terminate an employee, they really don’t have anything to lose by damaging your name publicly. Facebook posts, Twitter tweets, blog posts and even YouTube videos make it incredibly easy and fast for disgruntled former employees to air their grievances to the world. Whether the damaging posts air the company’s dirty laundry or simply condemn executives for terminating working class people, the result is often not viewed favorably by the general public. Protecting the company’s brand is vital, as it has a direct impact on sales, future business partnerships and even in retaining top talent in the workforce. In fact, a LinkedIn poll recently found that 61 percent of workers under the age of 40 seriously considered the overall reputation of a company when deciding to accept a job.
Many companies believe that there really isn’t much that they can do to prevent this type of online abuse, but there is. Employees are less likely to defame a company if they are receiving something valuable from them, like career assistance. Thus, offering outplacement services to those former workers not only assists them with moving forward in their career, but it also makes them far less likely to say bad things about their former employer.
Stop Lawsuits Before They Start
Lawsuits are another notorious problem that occurs when letting workers go. Offering comprehensive outplacement services can help prevent these as well. While they won’t prevent legitimate lawsuits, they will help prevent the trumped up ones born mainly out of anger. Many lawsuits filed against former employers have no real basis, and many never even make it to court because of lack of evidence. However, these suits still take up an incredible amount of time on the employer’s part. In addition, any initial media coverage regarding the suit can damage the company’s reputation even if it is innocent of the charges. Outplacement services prevent this by helping former employees focus on their future rather than on their past.
What Outplacement Services Should Include
Effective outplacement services should include far more than just a quick resume critique. It should include a thorough resume examination and rewrite, if needed. Additionally, professional outplacement teams can provide assistance with interview preparation and with career coaching. They can even provide professional cover letters and a LinkedIn profile creation to create a comprehensive career search package. By equipping displaced workers with this plethora of skills, companies are helping worker to move past their pain. And, companies are saving their own reputations in the process.
Vertical Media Solutions understands that each company has specific needs and each transitioning employee needs personalized help. Our goal is to help both employers and employees emerge from the process healthier and stronger. Your transitioning employees will benefit from the full suite of our career services at discounted rates, including: resumes, CV’s, cover letters, LinkedIn development, career coaching, interview preparation, and much more. For immediate answers to your questions, call: 616-631-4300 ext 4.
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