Both employees and employers can reap rewards from outplacement services that teach separated employees how to successfully organize their capabilities into a marketable form, and then sell those capabilities to find suitable employment elsewhere.

Benefits to employees. Outplacement services help employees accept the best possible job in the least amount of time. Employees receive the guidance and assistance of professional career counselors, as well as company support during their job search.

Benefits to employers. Employers also realize benefits from outplacement. Adverse effects on internal employee relations that a discharge can cause may be alleviated, and separated employees will carry a better opinion of your company to the public. Moreover, the existence of an outplacement service can make the HR function of employee appraisal much more realistic.

Types of assistance. The typical outplacement service will work personally with employees to develop a career plan tailored to their individual needs. Evaluations will elicit the personal and professional qualifications the individuals have to offer, and identify potential markets for that talent. From there, a plan of action will help employees learn how to introduce their assets to potential employers, how to interview, and how to conduct salary negotiations.

For example, the outplacement process may consist of:

1. notification interviews for purposes of breaking the news;
2. informing employees of new work assignments to include working with counselors for an appropriate period;
3. written employment agreements (to limit potential liability before fully dispensing assistance); and
4. the counseling process itself.

Source: CCH Employee Benefits Management