What technological innovations are helping outplacement services?

Outplacement services

The outplacement sector is expanding as an increasing number of employers and individuals come to rely on the services of providers such as Renovo in the face of redundancy or restructuring. Whilst many suppliers still choose to deliver their services through traditional channels, we’ve embraced technology to help innovate the way in which we structure our packages to provide comprehensive support to those facing redundancy. As those using these technological advances typically return to work almost twice as fast as those on traditional job search support programmes (just 58 days, on average), let’s consider the specifics of the technological innovations that are helping to make outplacement services encompassing.

The World Wide Web

Back in March, we saw the 25^th anniversary of the World Wide Web and took the opportunity to look back across the years. Shortly after the first spam email was ever sent in 1978, a debate opened up that led to individuals questioning whether it would ever be fair to allow the advertising of job roles in such a closed network. By comparison today, the majority of job roles are listed, advertised and applied to online via email and the web.

How it helps:

Many might argue that, given its age, the World Wide Web isn’t much of an innovation anymore. However, all it takes is a preliminary glance at the many new ways in which people use the internet every day to understand that the powers the internet can grant to outplacement services have not yet reached their peak. Within Renovo’s outplacement services, we connect individuals with our online career portal, Workfriend. Beyond giving accessible, on-demand advice to support and guide individuals through all elements of the job search, we’ve embraced innovation to even allow individuals to practice interviews online, film their answers and review responses. Working alongside a personal career coach, this technology-embracing approach empowers individuals with different e-learning modules, online tools and numerous resources.

Advances in Communication

If we go back just a few short years, virtually all outplacement was carried out in person. Depending on the budget, one-on-one coaching was occasionally used for senior executives, with mass redundancies typically handled through workshops and seminars. With the widespread adoption of the internet, email, Skype and internet messaging have increased the number of ways we can communicate with others. At this point, the most innovative outplacement providers make use of a healthy mix of traditional and pioneering communication to provide encompassing outplacement services for their clients.

How it helps:

Rather than spending time travelling between one meeting location and the next, innovative outplacement services can now all be handled from a single office. This decrease in effective distance between supplier and client means that services come at a lower cost, but can also be tailored to be much more personal. One-on-one support with a personal career coach doesn't have to be limited to senior executives alone, and workshops can be supplemented with information relevant to each individual regardless of their level or function. As well as this, options such as 24-hour support lines can provide counselling and guidance the moment a personal crisis comes to the fore, rather than having to fit into a 9-to-5 schedule. A remote career guidance service means that there’s no need to schedule face-to-face appointments in advance; instead, we can provide flexible and responsive support at the moment it’s needed. This means employees can access the right support at the moment they need it – whether that is the way to an interview or just at the point of submitting an application.

The digital self

Virtually every individual we work with has a digital footprint of some description. Whether it’s in old records that have been digitised and hosted online, social media profiles or team shots on past employers’ websites, potential future employers may be able to view more about you than you realise. Beyond the actual self, there’s also the digital self that potential employers will be able to view, which includes everything from social media profiles, online networks and even how a CV may render when viewed on a mobile device.

How it helps:

Learning how to exploit the digital self can be a powerful method for candidates to sell themselves. We train our clients in areas as diverse as how to learn about roles before they’re widely advertised, creating effective LinkedIn profiles or even using online networking to build direct connections to the hiring managers that could drastically change the course of their futures. Each of these different factors entails embracing the ways in which technology has radically altered the way we present ourselves to others and using it to great advantage, particularly in the outplacement sector where less innovative providers may still be using traditional methods alone.

Renovo is one of the UK’s leading providers of outplacement and career transition support. We work with both organisations and individuals to support all their career transition requirements. If you would like to understand how Renovo can help you please call 0800 612 2011 or email info@renovo.co.uk