Decoding Outplacement Engagement: A Conversation with Careerminds

If you’re looking to gain a comprehensive understanding of how the outplacement process works, and which provider is right for your organization, you’ll need to consider how different programs measure their results. One of the first metrics you should look at is outplacement engagement rates–what they are and why they’re important.

Put simply, outplacement engagement rates measure how effectively providers establish connections with a client’s participating employees to ensure they begin receiving outplacement support. These rates gauge the level of active involvement and participation of the displaced workers in their outplacement program. A higher engagement rate indicates that a greater percentage of employees are actively utilizing and benefiting from the outplacement services offered, such as career coaching, resume assistance, job search support, and other resources aimed at facilitating a successful transition to new employment.

The desire for elevated engagement rates stems from the shared goal of clients and outplacement providers to ensure that the largest number of displaced workers receive this essential support to navigate their transition to a new role.

While this seems simple enough, a lot goes into engagement rates that you may not have considered. This includes a lack of understanding among participants about what outplacement entails, what creates effective programs, and the key factors that most successful participants have in common, which could lead to participants declining the outplacement services offered. 

To help us understand the nuances of outplacement engagement, we sat down with Lou Ann Kummerer, Senior Consultant at Careerminds. Our discussion delved into how Careerminds maintains an engagement rate of 80 percent or higher, the factors contributing to this impressive statistic, and the key elements that lead to success for outplacement participants.

Do Participants Decline Using Outplacement Services? Why?

Some participants do decline, yes. This could be due to a lot of different reasons, including if they are taking early retirement, going back to school, or if their employer takes too long to get their outbound employees to us and they’ve already found a new job. We’ve found that outplacement services are often declined because participants have already found their next job. Most people don’t already have a job lined up when they are laid off, so it’s important to get them started with outplacement as soon as possible.

Another reason that participants are sometimes hesitant to use our services is because they don’t really understand what outplacement is. We’ve found that when an HR department takes more time to educate department managers and explain to outbound employees what outplacement is, they are more receptive to using our services. 

How Many Participants Begin with Careerminds Knowing What Outplacement Is?

There’s really no way to put a number on this. A lot of people have never even heard of outplacement unless they work in HR, though some people–such as those who have been through the recent auto industry layoffs–may already be pretty familiar with the process. It can vary widely, so it’s difficult to say what percentage of participants will have been introduced to the concept of outplacement before we begin offering our services.

Aside from how common it may be in the industry, other factors also come into it, like a participant’s level within the company they are leaving, or whether they are in an industry that is pretty stable without a lot of change. This is why it’s so important to properly educate all impacted employees on what outplacement entails, to ensure they all have an equal understanding of the services they are being offered.

What Other Trends Have You Noticed with Participants Who Use Outplacement?

It’s estimated that millennials make up 50 percent of the global workforce. So this is an important demographic to look at in terms of outplacement trends and engagement. For many millennials, the job they are leaving was their first job after college. So, in many cases, their resume could use a little brushing up. We also find that developing a career path is often something they need for the same reason. 

What’s really interesting is that for almost all millennials, finding the right culture is a priority. Millennials are looking for a healthy work-life balance, and prioritize that above many other factors when they use our outplacement services.

It’s important to consider the company brand and culture, even outside of layoff events. Sites like Glassdoor and LinkedIn, or even a simple Google search, can impact how attractive a company is to job seekers. Potential employees want to see how the culture is when things are going well as well as when hard decisions are being made.

How Does Careerminds Create Effective Programs for Participants?

One of the things our clients learn in our outplacement program demo is that we aren’t your typical outplacement provider. All of our participants have a coaching program tailored to their professional needs. We also look at their personal needs and what’s important when it comes to finding a new job. 

We then make sure to blend that tailored human touch with the latest technological advances and virtual outplacement resources, providing our personalized career coaching and training in a more accessible way that is available to participants anytime and anywhere they need.

Our unique, tailored approach allows our participants to secure new and improved positions within a mere 11.5 weeks, three times faster than the national average. We also have a 95 percent placement rate, because we work with our participants until they secure their next job placement. We call this our “until placement” promise. This leads to participants having a great experience with us, which then also reflects well on their former employers. 

What Do Some of Careerminds’ Most Successful Participants Have in Common?

Probably the most common, and crucial, element of our participants is their mindset. Our most successful participants come into the outplacement program with a positive mindset, or develop one by attending our webinars and exploring our content. Being resilient and having a growth mindset is essential to success with outplacement. 

Participants and coaches will also set milestones to work towards together, so that participants can see how their hard work is paying off. This approach combined with a positive, productive mindset gives participants the best chance of success in their career transition.

Outplacement Engagement: Key Takeaways

As you can see, the connection between the outplacement provider and participant holds immense significance in creating high engagement and success rates. At Careerminds, we are continually adjusting our approach and offerings with the dynamic job market and industry trends to ensure our participants thrive.

Key takeaways to remember include:

• Outplacement engagement rates gauge the effectiveness of provider-participant connections and support delivery.
• Participants may decline services due to various reasons, emphasizing the need for outplacement education and understanding.
• Millennials prioritize resume refinement, career path development, and organizational culture, particularly valuing work-life balance.
• Careerminds’ personalized outplacement programs have an 80 percent or higher engagement rate, with a 95 percent placement rate, and an 11.5-week average program duration to successful placement.
• Successful participants share a positive mindset, resilience, and goal-oriented milestones.

If you’re ready to find the right outplacement firm to successfully transition your outbound employees, click below to speak with one of our experts and learn more about Careerminds’ outplacement offerings.

Cynthia Orduña

Cynthia Orduña is a Career and Business Coach with a background in recruiting, human resources, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has helped 50+ companies around the world hire and retain talent in cities like LA, SF, NY, Berlin, Tokyo, Sydney, and London. She has also coached over 300 people, from entry to senior levels, in developing their one-of-a-kind career paths, Her work has been featured in publications such as Business Insider, The Balance Careers, The Zoe Report, and more. To learn more you can connect with Cynthia on LinkedIn.