Group Career Transition (Outplacement) Programs

Our Group Career Transition Programs are ideal for organizations having to release large numbers of employees. We work closely with the organization to assist in the planning stages and with the affected and remaining employees following the announcement. Our group programs are customized to meet the needs and the budget of the organization and can include any combination of the following:

Restructuring Consulting

Most employers are quite capable of handling the majority of employee or labour relation issues that arise as a result of corporate restructuring / downsizing. However, the release or transfer of large numbers of employees raises the question of the employer’s legal, moral, and financial obligations. Today, more and more organizations are calling on the expertise of professionals to help out.  Our Coaches have assisted hundreds of organizations in planning, designing and dealing with the myriad of issues that arise leading up to and following the restructuring announcement.

Voluntary Exit Programs

One of the most difficult tasks managers must perform in planning a corporate restructuring is selecting which positions need to be eliminated and subsequently deciding who will be affected.  Although the decision of which positions to eliminate should remain with management, some organizations believe there are many distinct advantages in offering a Voluntary Exit program.

Our Coaches have successfully planned and implemented a number of Voluntary Exit programs. Their expertise and experience can be extremely beneficial in ensuring that the program runs smoothly, significantly reducing the potential for costly mistakes.

Once the program has been established, our Coaches work with employees by coaching them through the decision-making process to help alleviate the stress usually associated with making career-related decisions.  Our objective is to ensure that employees examine both the financial and career issues associated with the decision, and that they make a sound decision that they will feel comfortable with in the future.

Career Transition Workshops

All Career Transition Workshops are customized to meet the needs of the individuals who will be participating in them and range in duration from one to three days.  Workshops can be delivered on the premises of the organization if the employees are working through a notice period or in our office if the employees are being released immediately.

These workshops prepare participants to work productively through a notice period (if applicable) and provide them with the opportunity to assess and evaluate their careers to-date, establish career goals, and launch a successful job search. Depending on the duration of the workshop, we may include any combination of the following elements:

• Introduction
• Expectations of Participants
• Overview of Material to be Covered
• Expected Outcomes of Workshop
• Dealing with Emotions
• Review of Grief Sequence
• Stress Management
• Realities and Myths of the Employment Market
• Role of a Job Searcher
• Career Review and Assessment
• Accomplishments, Skills and Abilities
• Required Development
• Values
• Relationships and Style
• Passions and Interests
• Ideal Job
• Review of Realistic Career Alternatives and Establishment of Career and Personal Goals
• Preparation of Marketing Tools
• Resume and Capsule Profile Design and Development
• Letter Design and Development
• Personal Branding Development
• LinkedIn
• Social Media
• Style and Image Awareness
• Approaches to the Employment Market (including the open and hidden market)
• Development of a Marketing Action Plan
• Preparation for Marketing
• Informational Interviewing and Expanding a Network of Contacts
• Research Tools and Techniques (using the Internet)
• Telephone Techniques
• Interviewing (role play practice)
•  Negotiation Techniques and Evaluation of Employment Offers
• Review of Workshop Elements

One-on-one coaching sessions prior to and following the workshop can be arranged to allow participants to address any personal issues or concerns.

Internal Career Action Centre

An Internal Career Action Centre is provided by organizations that wish to maintain and / or raise the morale and productivity of employees who will eventually be released and who are working through a notice period.  It creates clearly visible and on-site evidence that the organization cares about the employees who will be affected as a result of restructuring.

The Internal Career Action Centre is an accessible, resource-filled, user-friendly facility located onsite at the organization’s premises.  It motivates employees to deal with and plan for their impending release sooner.  It is set up immediately after employees have received notice of their impending release and usually continues to operate for one or two months after all affected employees have completed their notice period.

The Centre is designed to encourage ease of access to all services, including:

• Career Transition Support
• Administrative Support
• Facilities and Equipment
• Resources
• Job Posting Board

The Centre is customized to meet the specific needs of the organization and its employees.

Revitalization Program

In most cases during a corporate restructuring, support is only extended to those who will be exiting the organization. However, it is also crucial to consider support for those who will remain and are vital to the organization’s future success. These individuals often feel just as much anxiety and stress and those who are leaving.

Our one-day Revitalization workshop is aimed at helping remaining employees understand and adapt to the changing work environment and the possibility of new expectations.  Through this workshop we are able to address their concerns (usually job security and increased expectations) in a safe and non-threatening environment, and begin to integrate the needs of the organization with those of the employees so that the goals and objectives of both the employees and the organization can be achieved.