Outplacement transition and the new workforce agility
The trend of increasingly rapid horizontal and vertical changes in the labor market requires increasingly rapid reactions in the form of learning new skills or adapting existing ones. And while traditional sectors that had a large number of employees in the past are reducing these numbers due to the introduction of technology or a decline in the market, others are doing so in order to respond in time to the new demands of the economy. This is where outplacement comes in.
As a form of external support and a bridge during the process of dismissing employees in a "successful" and peaceful way, outplacement is external support during the process of dismissing employees with the aim of successfully terminating the business relationship between employer and employee. In Croatia, it is relatively marginalized as a way of maintaining a positive corporate image, but in the pandemic period, requests for this type of consultation are more and more frequent.
Redundancies, whether as a consequence of economic crises or digital transformation, are a stressful event for every worker. The first goal of outplacement is precisely the reduction and control of stress and negative emotions without diminishing the severity of the situation, thus giving the worker the opportunity to meet potential new employers without bitterness and in the best mental shape. By defining, implementing and implementing high-quality and efficient measures, the negative consequences of firing employees will be significantly mitigated. Career coaching and professional support from coaches means that employees are offered a real opportunity for advancement. Trainers with people involved in outplacement programs go through all the steps and activities in the job search process in detail.
From updating CVs, to additional training and evaluations, preparation for job interviews and tests, all the way to direct recommendation of candidates to existing clients and support in organizing introductions to candidates and potential future employers.
Companies and outplacement service providers must provide adequate and timely (in real time) evaluation and analytics of the volatile job market so that they can respond to all client changes with quality. Data and the ability to analyze it are key equally for consultants, companies that want to ensure the maximum efficiency of their workers or employees who develop new skills and thus find new positions. In the short term, this means for companies greater insight into the real state of productivity based on the analysis of larger sets of measurement and statistical data.
Already now, and far more in the future, artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics will help achieve precision in decisions related to training, selection or firing in real time. The future of outplacement will combine both analytics and emotional intelligence of leaders in a two-way, responsive evolution of work. The outplacement process will gain more and more importance for all organizations and individuals in the process of recovery from the consequences of the pandemic, while creating a self-reliant, mobile and highly efficient workforce that is able to face challenges in the years to come.
