With the coronavirus pandemic disrupting established workplace patterns and structures, employers are grappling with many questions and managing destabilizing events like layoffs and other sudden structural changes. In the midst of such uncertainty, outplacement coaching can be a stabilizing force.
Outplacement, a benefit given by employers to laid-off employees to help them land new positions faster, helps companies and HR departments effectively handle employees transitions. A solid outplacement coaching program that provides career guidance, job searching, skill building, and more to affected workers a should be a primary component of any outplacement service.
As the world changes and the very nature of work evolves each day, outplacement coaching can provide needed clarity for companies and their transitioning employees. Many industries, especially those that deal in face-to-face interactions like restaurant and hospitality industries, are hard hit and looking for ways to provide their employees with support as they face difficult layoff decisions. However, other sectors, like delivery and grocery services, are hiring more people as demand increases. In the midst of these industry fluctuations, an outplacement coach can help businesses adapt in 2020 by connecting workers reentering the job market to new opportunities.
The core benefits of outplacement coaching
Despite the seismic changes felt across the professional landscape, the qualities of a reliable outplacement program remain unchanged. Outplacement coaching that treats each employee as unique is essential. Taking a flexible, individualized approach, coaches should be able to find and highlight a job hunter’s marketable skills for potential employers. One employee in transition may need guidance with a LinkedIn profile, while another more practice with online networking. Experienced coaches who are up-to-date on on industry standards and trends can provide the most accurate guidance to today’s changing workforce.
In any environment, career coaching focuses on the each candidate’s goals and how best to achieve them, through advanced assessment tools, like workshops and quizzes, and personalized advice from experts. Good outplacement coaching should always address resume writing, job searches, interview preparation, developing networks, and more even as the landscape changes.
Technology is key in today’s workforce
Even before so many workers started working remotely due to COVID-19 health guidelines, the modern workforce was rapidly transitioning to an online world. Successful outplacement coaching in 2020 must address the changes remote working has already brought about, and anticipate the ones that will shape the workforce going forward.
As remote working becomes a feature of the workplace, how can coaching help? To start, outplacement services providing coaching should operate in these new remote worlds as virtual outplacement becomes the norm. Training in video interviews and teleconferencing is a must as our reliance on these technologies grows.
While platforms that allow remote work to happen smoothly are increasingly important in our world, other innovations are also changing the way we work. High quality outplacement services should be well-versed in current trends like the use of AI in recruiting, along with other advancements.
Mental health and work are more connected than ever
With all the unforeseen changes that have happened in 2020, it’s no surprise that mental health concerns are rising. One national mental health hotline witnessed an 891% increase in calls during March 2020 compared to March 2019. As our mental health is increasingly affected by what goes on in our professional lives, outplacement coaching can play an important role in helping address uncertainties related to work.
Outplacement coaches shouldn’t take the role of trained mental health practitioners, but they can help by being aware of the current anxieties surrounding work and addressing them in their unique roles. Coaches can help workers to prepare for any situation—good and bad—with actionable tasks that get clear results. These include working on skill building, revising a resume, creating new networks, and more. By tackling professional worries in a clear, strategic way, outplacement coaching can help alleviate workplace-related worries experienced by many in our current situation.
Outplacement coaching is one important prong in a multi-faceted approach to career transition services. Intoo’s outplacement solution offers unlimited, on-demand supportive coaching, along with other solutions, to a wide variety of companies to help with career transitions. Learn more by requesting a demo today.
INTOO staff writers come from diverse backgrounds and have extensive experience writing about topics that matter to the HR and business communities, including outplacement, layoffs, career development, internal mobility, candidate experience, succession planning, talent acquisition, and more.