Why Outplacement Support Matters

Why Outplacement Support Matters, What Does It Include?, Choosing The Right Outplacement Partner

Why Outplacement Matters To Support Redundancies

When redundancy is handled badly, it leaves lasting damage, to people’s lives and a company's reputation. With over 15 years of outplacement experience, we have found when it’s handled well, it can make a huge difference to those exiting and those remaining.

Outplacement is professional career support offered to employees whose roles are being made redundant.
It helps individuals move forward with confidence and care, supporting their career transition to the new and can help protects the brand reputation at the same time.

Sadly, not every company invests in this.

We've all seen the headlines: businesses announcing redundancies by pre-recorded video or mass text message. The result?

Angry employees.
Shocked customers.
A damaged employer brand.

With redundancy being one of the top 5 most stressful events people go through, outplacement, if done properly, can transform a painful process into a professional, compassionate and even empowering experience.

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What Does Outplacement Support Include?

A high-quality outplacement programme typically covers:

Career coaching
CV writing and job search workshops
Networking and personal branding advice
Interview techniques
LinkedIn training
Navigating change and improving resilience
Some providers (including us at Empowered Space) also coach or train senior leaders on delivering difficult messages sensitively, because redundancy affects not just those leaving, but those remaining.
Service offerings vary from 121 coaching, live group workshops, digital on-demand courses, onsite career coaching clinics and executive outplacement.

Why Outplacement Matters, For Everyone

For the employer:

Support your remaining workforce: When people see their colleagues treated with dignity, it can really impact morale, preventing a ripple of voluntary exits.
Protect your reputation: Showing care reduces backlash from employees, suppliers and the wider market.
Reduce legal risks: Proper processes, empathy and support, lower the risk of costly claims.

For employees:

Faster transition: The job market has changed significantly since 2020 and is increasingly being affected by social media and AI. Expert support can not only make the employee feel supported, but can also accelerate their job search, with stronger networking strategies, a high impact CV, navigating social media and accessing today’s hidden job market (where is is estimated that a large % of jobs aren't even advertised).
Emotional support: Redundancy is a rollercoaster. Having professional guidance helps people process the change and move on with confidence.
Positive closure: Employees leave feeling respected and speak better about their former employer.
Boosts morale and trust for remaining employees: Supporting leavers with outplacement shows remaining employees the company acts with integrity, which builds loyalty and reassurance.
Eases transition: It reduces survivor guilt and helps teams stay focused during times of change.

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Choosing the Right Outplacement Partner
Here’s what to ask when choosing a provider:

What sectors do they have experience supporting?
What level of people have they supported, ie executive, mid-level, white collar, blue collar?
Do they offer blended delivery: live group workshops, on-demand digital learning and one-to-one coaching?
Can they share client testimonials?
Who are the coaches who will be supporting and what are their qualifications and experience?

Choose a provider who values empathy as well as expertise. Redundancy can be a challenging time and impact mental health.

If your organisation is facing redundancy decisions, we’re here to help make the process smoother, fairer, and more supportive for everyone involved.

We love nothing more than seeing amazing individuals land their new chapter and feeling supported along the way.

As always, don’t just take our word for it…

"Suzanne’s fantastic outplacement support enabled my client to offer high quality, people-first coaching to their team during a very difficult time of redundancies. Suzanne onboarded my client, with pace and flexibility to ensure they could offer support without delay. Incredibly grateful for your time and investment the individuals affected." Alice Hemingway, FCIPD

“After 20 years with an organisation, it felt like a breakup. You have massively helped me reframe my redundancy, learn so much about myself and land my new role!” Jez Fraser Hill, Commercial Director.

Contact us for a confidential conversation.
Suzanne Penny

Founder- Empowered Space
Helping organisations navigate change with care, professionalism, and integrity.