What Type of Job Search Career Support Do People Need?

The search for a job today has become a series of complex processes, and candidates must be able to make informed decisions regarding jobs and careers both in good times and bad. The days when a solid resume and a firm handshake were all that was required for a successful search are long behind us. What is making the difference now is creating a thoughtful and deliberate strategy that considers how companies leverage technology to find people.

 “Magnetizing” a job search, or how candidates attract the right opportunities is both an essential part and a critical step when looking for the next position. A candidate’s digital literacy will have more to do with the opportunities they find than the skills they possess. Today’s job seekers must use a variety of strategies; all applied in a way to create a unique voice in the market and all geared toward drawing others in.

 In other words, it’s not enough for a candidate to know their strengths and have an answer ready for an interview question about their weaknesses. Today’s job search involves a host of digital touchpoints and processes to navigate and requires the ability to impress the person behind all the tech to land an offer. What those specific touchpoints are and the techniques to impress will depend on the level of the position; therefore, the type of outplacement services that organizations seek for those who are departing should be tailored as well if they are to be effective.

Outplacement for Top Leadership

C-suite and other top leaders are responsible for creating an organization’s mission and vision, and executing the company’s strategic direction either broadly, or within a particular function. When searching for appropriate outplacement services for top-level leaders, organizations should look for a provider that will help executives convey their methods for senior team development, strategy execution, and management style. The primary emphasis should be on professional branding, methods for building and sustaining alignment with strategies, and positioning their viewpoints surrounding systemic, cultural and environmental issues to improve organizational effectiveness.

 The right provider will deliver support for interview preparation, compensation package design, employment offers and contract negotiations. It’s also important for these accomplished individuals to be presented with other career track options such as self-employment and retirement. Lastly, an offer in-hand shouldn’t be the end of the process; providers should continue to offer coaching while assimilating to new roles to help make the transition to a new organization more successful.

Directors & Managers

Leaders in this group are directly linked to keeping the business running smoothly and ensuring that productivity remains high. They are responsible for directing their team to meet the goals of the business. When searching for outplacement services for this group, the focus should be on finding services that will help individuals position their interpersonal skills, team development methods, and management style properly. The primary emphasis should be on professional branding, assembling a story of success and the factors the candidate navigated to reach their current position. The focus should also include gathering stories for how the candidate successfully built effective teams while meeting organizational challenges and how they affected positive outcomes.

 The most successful services will provide support for strategy planning, market differentiation, resume development, networking strategies, sourcing job leads and individual career and marketplace exploration and analysis. Support should also include a social media plan, interview preparation, and compensation and offer negotiation. Lastly, this group will also benefit from coaching while assimilating to their new roles.

Professional & Individual Contributors

This group is directly linked to initiative execution. They are engaged in work that is predominantly intellectual and varied in character. Their work involves the consistent exercise of discretion and judgment in its performance, and they take direction from and report to managers. Organizations that need outplacement services for this group should look for services that are focused on helping individuals craft their stories of success, accomplishments and results and include how the individuals lead project teams and shifted from tactical to leadership roles.

 Support should include job-search planning, market differentiation, resume development, networking, sourcing job leads and interview planning. Individuals should also receive interview preparation, compensation package design assistance and social media planning. Personalized career exploration and alternative tracks such as self-employment are also appropriate guidance options. Lastly, consulting during new role assimilation should be offered.

Administrative & Support Staff

Support staff work to keep an organization running and support the people who are involved in the company’s main business. When outplacement services are necessary for support staff, the focus of the provider should be speed to market and document creation that concentrates on the individual’s accomplishments and results. Tactical items should include social media planning, networking, resume development and sourcing job leads. Significant time should be focused on interview strategy development and practice as well as developing offer negotiation skills. Dedicated coaching and access to professional staff support should be offered throughout the process and during the transition to a new position.

Hourly Employees

This group needs a simplified job search process and help in identifying employment opportunities. When hourly employees need outplacement assistance, organizations should seek a service that offers ongoing individual consultations and small group workshops that cover topics such as digital literacy, navigating ATS, assessments and video interviews, resume and cover letter development, interview skills and completing job applications. These services, educational opportunities and consultations should be available until reemployment is secured.

Different Needs. Same Requirements.

We provide several tiers of service that are designed to address the specific needs of the individuals who must be outplaced. The skills and success stories that define a senior vice president will be vastly different from those of an hourly employee. The services provided to a departing CEO focus on positioning what that individual has to offer; an hourly employee will benefit more from a streamlined, simplified way to apply for the right positions.

 There is one thing, however, that all people need to find success from outplacement services: individualized attention until a new position has been secured and the transition is complete. We designed each of our service levels to create the right balance between high-tech and high-touch. We provide real contact, one-on-one development, and personalized attention to resumes, letters and personal stories. Each group will also benefit from some time spent analyzing the market and considering all the available opportunities, including self-employment, consulting and even retirement.

 The results of a high level of personal contact and individualized support are candidates who struggle less with the emotional roller coaster involved when changing jobs as they have the time and attention of professionals who understand the stress and anxieties. It also means a more successful transition into a new career position that’s more likely to deliver long-term satisfaction rather than simply ticking the box of having acquired a new employer. Lastly, those in your organization who are not directly affected by an outplacement event will see that their friends and former colleagues are being provided with lasting, meaningful support which reduces their own stress and fear of the future which, in turn, will help your organization meet the business goals behind the outplacement.