What is Outplacement?

Outplacement services: Practical career transition support during redundancy | 5 minute read

TL;DR: Outplacement is employer-funded career transition support for employees whose roles are being made redundant. It can include career coaching, CV and LinkedIn support, interview preparation, job-search guidance and support exploring future career options.

For employers, providing outplacement can help create a more supportive redundancy experience, maintain trust among remaining employees and demonstrate a commitment to treating people with dignity and respect during organisational change.

Career transition support: what outplacement means

When your organisation is going through change, redundancy may sometimes be unavoidable. But how you support people through that change can make a meaningful difference to employees who are leaving, colleagues who remain and the wider organisation.

Outplacement services provide practical career transition support to help employees understand their options, prepare for their next move and approach the next stage of their career with greater clarity and confidence. For employers, it is an opportunity to extend support beyond the redundancy process itself, helping people move forward while demonstrating your organisation's commitment to treating employees with dignity and respect.

Outplacement explained

Outplacement is career transition support provided by an employer to employees whose roles are being made redundant. It is typically delivered by an external career specialist and provides practical guidance, tools and one-to-one or group support to help employees plan what comes next.

Depending on the individual's circumstances, that next step could be a new role, self-employment, further study, a portfolio career or a different career direction altogether.

Outplacement support may include:

Reviewing skills, experience and career goals
CV and LinkedIn profile development
Job-search planning and guidance
Helping research and assess potential career opportunities
Interview preparation and practice
Networking strategies
Career coaching and confidence building

This support can be particularly valuable for someone who has been with the same organisation for many years and may have limited recent experience of searching for a job or navigating today's recruitment market.

How can outplacement support employees during redundancy?

Redundancy can leave employees facing important career decisions at a time of considerable change and uncertainty. Knowing what to do next is not always straightforward.

Outplacement gives employees a structured way to move forward.

Rather than having to navigate the transition alone, individuals can work with a career specialist to understand their strengths, explore their options and develop a practical plan for their next step.

That might mean improving their CV, building their professional network, preparing for interviews or taking time to consider whether a different career direction is right for them.

The aim is not simply to help someone find another job. It is to give them practical tools and support to make informed decisions about what comes next.

What are the benefits of outplacement for employers?

Outplacement is primarily about supporting employees through career transition, but a well-planned programme can also support the organisation managing the change.

Demonstrate your values in practice

An organisation's values can become particularly visible during difficult periods of change. Providing practical career support can demonstrate that your commitment to people continues even when their employment is coming to an end.

Support your employer brand

Employees, candidates, customers and other stakeholders may form opinions about an organisation based on how it manages redundancy and restructuring.

A thoughtful approach to career transition can contribute to a more positive employee experience and help maintain trust in your organisation and employer brand.

Help employees navigate the transition

Providing affected employees with clear information and access to career support can help create greater structure during the transition period. This can support handovers and help employees focus on practical next steps during their notice period.

Reassure remaining employees

Redundancy can also affect colleagues who remain with the business. Seeing departing employees treated with dignity and offered practical support can help demonstrate that organisational change is being managed thoughtfully.

Complement the redundancy process

Outplacement does not replace the need for an appropriate redundancy and consultation process. Instead, it can sit alongside that process, providing practical career support for employees as they prepare to leave the organisation.

What does outplacement support include?

There is no single approach that will suit every organisation or employee.

Outplacement programmes can be shaped around the number of people affected, their roles, individual needs and the wider circumstances surrounding the organisational change.

One-to-one career coaching

Individual career coaching provides personalised support based on an employee's experience, circumstances and career goals. The support available will depend on the programme selected by the employer.

The employee can work with their career coach to identify priorities and create a practical plan for moving forward.

Employees should be told how their personal information will be used and whether any information will be shared with their employer. Individual coaching discussions should be handled in accordance with the provider’s privacy and confidentiality arrangements.

Group outplacement workshops

Where larger numbers of employees are affected, group workshops can provide practical guidance efficiently and consistently.

Topics can include CV writing, LinkedIn, interview techniques, job-search strategies and networking. Group support can also be combined with individual sessions where employees need more personalised guidance.

Executive and senior-level outplacement

Senior leaders and executives can face different challenges when moving between roles. Opportunities may be fewer, recruitment processes can take longer and networking can play a greater role in identifying the right next step.

Executive outplacement can provide more tailored and confidential support, including:

Career positioning and personal branding
Executive CV and LinkedIn development
Networking strategy
Interview preparation
Career planning
Exploration of consultancy, portfolio or non-executive opportunities

Practical career resources and tools

Depending on the programme, employees may also have access to practical resources, templates and online tools to support their career search between coaching sessions.

Flexible online and in-person support

Outplacement can be delivered virtually, in person or through a combination of the two.

A blended approach can be particularly useful for organisations with employees across different locations or where different levels of support are required.

Connections with wellbeing support

Career transition support and emotional wellbeing support serve different purposes, but they can work alongside one another.

Outplacement is not a substitute for counselling, medical advice or mental health support. Where appropriate, employers may wish to make separate wellbeing services available.

How should employers introduce outplacement during redundancy?

Outplacement is generally more useful when it is considered early and communicated clearly as part of the wider redundancy support available to employees.

Employees should understand:

What support is available
Who is eligible to access it
When the support begins
How long support is available
How they can access the service
What they can expect from the programme

The format can then be adapted to the needs of the workforce.

For example, during a larger restructuring programme, group workshops could provide consistent career guidance to affected employees, supported by one-to-one coaching for people who would benefit from more individual support.

Senior employees may require a different approach, with confidential coaching focused on positioning, networking and identifying their next career opportunity.

Whatever approach is chosen, keeping access straightforward and communicating the support clearly can help employees make use of it when they need it.

When should an organisation consider outplacement?

Outplacement can be considered whenever redundancy, restructuring or organisational change results in employees leaving the business.

It may be particularly useful when:

Multiple employees are affected by restructuring
Employees have long service or limited recent job-search experience • senior leaders or executives are leaving the organisation
The organisation wants to provide additional career transition support
Maintaining trust and a positive employee experience is particularly important.

The right level of support will depend on the circumstances, which is why a flexible approach can be more useful than applying the same programme to every situation.

Supporting people through career transition

Redundancy is a significant change for the people affected. Providing practical support can help employees move beyond the immediate uncertainty and begin focusing on what comes next.

Outplacement brings structure to that transition through career coaching, job-search guidance and practical tools tailored to different employee needs.

For employers, it offers a practical way to support people through change while demonstrating organisational values, maintaining relationships and contributing to a respectful employee experience.

Want to see how we can help?

If your organisation is planning a restructure or redundancy programme, NFP can work with you to explore an outplacement approach that reflects the needs of your organisation and the people affected.

Learn more Request a quote