Why offer support for employees that are made redundant?
In a time of recession should executives invest in people who are made redundant or future growth? What are the benefits and risks in offering this support to people that will no longer contribute to the growth of the Company?
This question is being posed in boardrooms across the country as executives try to balance the cost of supporting people who no longer work for them against the less tangible benefits of morale and brand protection. The Finance Director in one corner tightening the purse strings and the HR Director in another, arguing the case for protection from litigation, bad press and trying to do the right thing.
While these reasons may seem nebulous there are some very real benefits to helping employees during difficult times and executives ignore them at their peril.
First consider the fact that all leavers are potential customers or purchase influencers. What's the cost of bad press if they leave feeling badly treated and let down? After all, there have been some high profile cases in recent years of organisations firing employer's by text message. Their brands are well remembered for all the wrong reasons. Employees are transitory nowadays and anything that can be done to maintain their loyalty and goodwill is surely to be encouraged?
Another important factor is litigation. The cost of defending an employment tribunal can easily run into five figures (legal costs, management time to prepare and the cost of lost opportunities). Providing support to find a new job or improving redundancy terms can go a long way towards preventing litigation and enhancing an employers reputation for doing the morally right thing in difficult times.
An often overlooked factor is the employees who remain after redundancy programmes are completed. Turnover often increases after such events and a contributing factor is how leavers were treated. If handled badly others will go of their own volition to avoid the same experience. If managed well, they may feel more secure seeing their friends and colleagues well treated, with respect and being given professional support to find another job. Don't forget that friendships made in the workplace are stronger and more enduring than the relationship between employer and employee.
Finally, consider the demographics of those leaving. Employees with long service in one company, older employees fearing discrimination, women on maternity leave or employees with disabilities are all likely to be more worried about the impact of losing their jobs. It's a sad fact that for many it will be harder to find work quickly, if at all. The impact of support for such people is hard to quantify in pounds and pence, but almost immeasurable in terms of goodwill and positive PR.
All these factors mean that an increasing number of organisations are coming to the conclusion that it makes good business sense to offer this support. A recent survey by outplacement organisation HDA reported that 100% of those surveyed would be offering outplacement in the future and that 90% of those already providing support did so to foster post-employment relations.
Of course, providing this support can have its challenges.
The moment it is cut off complaints can start. Unions and employee bodies start to lobby for it to be contractual (so the organisation loses control over when it is offered) and what started off as a benefit becomes a right which can become a source of discontent.
The services on offer are many and varied, as are the price tags. Offer the wrong support and people complain about wasted money; offer a tiered support and people complain about them and us which is perceived as unfair.
Employees remaining may be denied funding for training or salary increases because money is allocated to people who don't work there any more which impacts on performance and morale. And of course providing these services (especially if done in-house) can leave the door open for potentially disgruntled ex-employees to continue to exert some influence on their former colleagues.
The reality is that whenever a redundancy situation arises there are going to be people who will be unhappy no matter what support is provided.
So what is the answer?
Few people expect a job for life any more and job seekers are becoming more selective in who they want to work for. Redundancy is part of working life, and more and more people want to work for organisations that provide support should the worst happen. Ignoring this message can result in lost sales and difficulties in attracting new talent (as bad news spreads and organisations are boycotted).
If executives need more compelling arguments they need look no further than the 10 o'clock News major organisations offering temporary site closures, pay cut deals, extended sabbaticals or financial incentives to work part time make the news. Companies offering outplacement support don't. Perhaps its a case of offering positive support to keep out of the news, not make it's.
Outplacement services providers could benefit from large-scale public sector lay-offs. What do they provide, how much do they charge and how should they be handled?
It's more than a racing certainty that public sector employers will soon be upping the rate at which they shed jobs. That means many of their HR departments will be dealing with, or looking into, outplacement services. As Public Sector People Managers' Association (PPMA) president Gillian Hibberd says: "The demand for outplacement services is likely to increase as more and more public sector organisations implement the radical changes they need to balance their books."
This is good news for the outplacement sector which, logic dictates, is anti-cyclical. Richard Allberg, founder and boss of online outplacement service MyWorkSearch, says he's "doing a lot of presentations" to civil service and central government management and HR about the services his company offers.
HR services giant Penna says it is experiencing "significant interest from the public sector, local government, central government and the NHS have all registered interest." Corinne Mills, managing director of outplacement specialist Personal Career Management says outplacement has grown so much in the past couple of years that it has opened new offices nationwide and "substantially" expanded its outplacement team.
So why would central HR departments bother with outplacement services when budgets are so tight? To some extent this would depend on the resources they have. Outplacement specialists well some of the larger ones will be able to handle the fall out from redundancy and restructuring programmes, from dealing with the legal aspects of redundancy, to helping those who lose their jobs find other options, to refocusing and re-energising those employees who stay on.
This generally comprises two phases: diagnostic - where redundant employees' characters, and aspirations are assessed - followed by a second phase focusing on CV content and presentation, networking and job hunting, usually via appropriate web sites.
But in many cases HR will want outplacement specialists to smooth the path of redundant employees through the door and on to pastures new, with the minimum of fuss and recrimination. As Hibberd says, outplacement brings a "decreased risk of exposure to claims and legal actions" from the departed.
What customers get from outplacement services depends on how much they pay. It's usually calculated on time. For example, PCM charges between £2,000 and £5,000 per person for an agreed number of coaching hours, and the use of online resources, typically job searches, and research facilities.
Another, Fairplace, charges from £500 to £5,000 per head. It also runs one-day group outplacement workshops for eight to 10 people for £500, says chief executive Michael Moran. For £2,500 to £5,000, individuals get 10 to 15 hours of one-to-one time with an outplacement coach. John Lees, head of Cheshire-based outplacement specialists Lees Associates charges £50 to £80 per hour for more senior clients.
Or there is MyWorkSearch's entirely online option, which charges a flat fee of £250 per person for 18 months access to its outplacement service. Allberg says its clients are largely non-corporate individuals, many of whom come via Jobcentre Plus.
HR departments unused to dealing with outplacement service providers and large-scale redundancies may find combining the two very daunting. Apart from following proper tendering procedures some outplacement specialists are on tender frameworks HR needs to do its homework to protect both it and its employer's reputation, and to ensure budgets are met and departing employees helped to move on.
They must:"Cost is always an issue," says Hibberd, "but organisations have to pay attention to the quality and appropriateness of the programme to be provided and the capability of the outplacement organisation to deliver it effectively."
Online outplacement specialist MyWorkSearch has won Best Business Startup of the Year at the 2010 LinkedIN European Business Awards.
Voted for by LinkedIN members and the judges, MyWorkSearch was chosen because of its exceptional business success, innovation and collaboration in business.
Richard Alberg, Founder and CEO of MyWorkSearch, says of the win:
"My colleagues and I started MyWorkSearch just over a year ago. We have worked extremely hard to make this a successful business. As always with starting a business it takes considerable time, money and passion as well as rather a lot of stress! So I am extremely pleased that our efforts have been recognised by LinkedIn. Thank you to everyone who works at MyWorkSearch, thank you to our customers who voted for us and, of course, thank you LinkedIn."
Founded in February 2009 to help job seekers find work in a tough employment market, MyWorkSearch was bringing in monthly revenues of over £100,000 after just 10 months. It now has a turnover of more than £200k per month and is a major supplier to the UK government.
Devised by a team with a combined 60 years experience in the recruitment industry, MyWorkSearch provides everything from CV writing assistance and training through to workflow management and interview coaching as well as a comprehensive vacancy search facility. MyWorkSearch can also tailor its service to any company's requirements with onsite representatives to help employees, company branded staff brochures and information videos being just a few of the examples.
Judging the awards - which also included the categories of Business Leader of the Year, Best Business Innovation and Rising Star - were LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman; PY Gerbeau, the renowned French entrepreneur and business consultant; and James Campanini, managing director of Cisco WebEx, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
The winners were announced at a ceremony in London last night, which was broadcast live over WebEx. The winning entries can be viewed here: www.linkedinbusinessawards.eu.
Each of the winners will receive a year's subscription to Cisco WebEx's online collaboration tools and a mentoring session over WebEx with one of the awards' judges to discuss their entry and approach to business. The overall Grand Prix winner will also travel to London to meet PY Gerbeau for a face-to-face mentoring meeting.
Kevin Eyres, European MD at LinkedIn, said of the Awards: "It's been an inspiration to hear about the work of the winners and their successes. The awards have shown how we can all learn from the experiences of our peers to gain new expertise and insight in our own careers."
About the LinkedIn European Business Awards
The European Business Awards were open to all members of LinkedIn across Europe, with individuals and companies of any
size being eligible to enter.
More business than ever is now conducted virtually. Developments in technology mean its the norm for meetings, recruitment processes and data sharing to be online. So it is no surprise that cultivating professional relationships online has become increasingly significant. The success of social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn exemplifies this trend.
But what are the real benefits of online networking and what are the potential pitfalls? On the plus side, an online networking provides an opportunity to break the ice before meeting someone in person. It allows you to passively watch activity without looking like a wallflower, and an opportunity to listen to discussions and gossip without having to contribute. And when contributing to discussions and groups, it can demonstrate your knowledge to recruiters who watch the groups to identify good candidates. Finally, it can also provide an opportunity to hear about jobs that dont get advertised.
On the other hand, forming a more solid personal relationship takes longer and real world rules on behaviour and etiquette still apply. Other considerations would be to remember that the online memory far exceeds the human memory and it is much more public. Search engines can index the content of newsgroups and networking groups, so anything you would not want an employer to read, should not be written.
Here are the top five attributes of a good networker:Richard Alberg is founder and CEO of MyWorkSearch.
Internships, networking and a brilliant CV are all important tools for job seekers embarking on a new career. Yet even when youve ticked all the boxes, you may still find getting your foot in the door at that first job to be a frustrating challenge.
To advise you we once again turned to the experts, asking established professionals to offer their tips for getting a start in your career. Here is what they told us:
John Stein, founder of The Winning Formula, said: A spate of family illness followed by redundancy forced me to re-evaluate my priorities. Thats when I decided to start out on my own with a business consultancy franchise firm. Working for myself was something I had always wanted to do, and now I can offer that same flexibility and work/life balance to other would-be business coaches. Nobody can guarantee you a job for life anymore and self-employment fulfils me in a way the corporate world never could. Embracing an opportunity like this gives you amazing confidence in your abilities and allows you to choose your own path.
John Grant, managing director at ASM Ltd, said My first serious job at British Caledonian Airways was as a Consumer Research Analyst - a role where I spent a lot of time walking up and down the corridor to my bosss office to correct the latest report Id written. In those days there were no word processors or even Excel as we know it today. The experience taught me the value of perseverance, attention to detail and a will to win; combine those factors and you get there in the end. Above all though, that experience taught me to treat people like youd like to be treated, be honest when you cock up (we all do!) and smile...it gets you a long way!
Richard Alberg, CEO and founder of MyWorkSearch, said It is often easier to get a new job when you are already in one. It shows initiative, builds experience and positions your CV more positively. Internships or work experience may not pay very much but they frequently prove invaluable. For example I know of one case where someone took several work experience jobs the final one being with a marketing agency. The 3 4 weeks he spent there went well and then a permanent employee resigned. So he got the job right place right time. You can't win if you don't buy a ticket.
Your behaviour at a job interview can offer a fresh start after a business has failed or you've been made redundant. Five experts spell out the golden rules
Harry Freedman, chief executive of Career Energy, a career management and outplacement consultancy
Statistics show that we make lasting judgements about people within the first two minutes of meeting them.
Fifty five per cent are to do with appearance; 38 per cent concern behaviour; and only seven per cent are based
on what the person actually says.
The most important thing you can do if you want to make a good impression is to "look the part". Make sure you are familiar with the way staff at the company usually dress and aim to match the style. If in doubt, formal business attire is the best option. Look understated-wear dark colours and sober ties, and cut back on jewellery.
Body language is crucial in interviews, which run more smoothly when both parties adopt similar sitting positions. If your interviewer appears to be too tense or uncomfortable, then gradually relax your posture. You will find that they will similarly soften their own and your conversation should flow more easily.
Make eye contact regularly, but don't starekeep your expression warm and natural. Too little contact means you are disinterested while too much is threatening. Face your interviewer and sit with an open, relaxed pose. Use your hands as part of your communication, but don't force yourself to do anything. It is more important that you should be focused and natural.
Richard Alberg, founder and chief executive of MyWorkSearch an online outplacement service
Many job seekers are looking for work for the first time in years. So how can they maximise their chances? Performing
well at an interview starts with the job application. A thoughtful, well-prepared application and CV set the tone for
a dialogue between an applicant and an employer. Many CVs are just too generic. We encourage job seekers to carefully
customise their CV to the position being sought, showing an understanding of the company, the role, and especially why
they have the experience, attributes and potential to do the job.
Ensuring the application looks right is also a key part of mentally preparing for the interview. Appearance, body language, and confidence in the meeting are important, but far too many candidates fail to do the basic research and planning needed to stand out from other applicants. In today's connected world there is no excuse for a lack of preparation. Having studied the company and identified why they fit the role, candidates can approach the interview knowing that they are answering the vital question: Why should we pick you?
Penny de Valk, chief executive, Institute of Leadership & Management
Competition for jobs is fierce so you need to give yourself the best chance possible. The basics are obvious:
do your research on the company, practise your interview technique and wear a suit when you meet an employer-it's
the safest option.
The interview starts the moment you enter the building and doesn't end until you leave the premises, so be polite to everyone you meet and don't take personal calls while you're in reception-you never know who may be listening.
If you have been out of the jobs market for a long time you may never have used a recruiter before. But recruitment consultants are a modern reality of looking for a new role. Ensure you find reputable agencies that understand your industry and recruit for it.
Good consultants will meet you before they put you forward for a position. They will assess your personality, experience and interview technique, and decide if they want to introduce you to clients.
Put yourself in the best position possible. Bouncing back-attitudes to unemployment, a research report by the Institute of Leadership & Management, found that those responsible for recruitment in organisations believe the three main activities where individuals can boost their employability are: studying for a relevant vocational or academic qualification; keeping up to date with industry developments; and doing voluntary work.
Rebecca Clake, research manager at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
You may have been in your current position and company for some time. So take the opportunity to thoroughly review
and refresh your CV. Concentrate on specific achievements and experiences you want to talk about at the interview.
Interviews tend to focus less on biographical career history, so be prepared to give clear examples about your competency for a role. Show how you have behaved in particular situations and achieved results. Look carefully at the job description. Tailor both your CV and the approach you take in the interview to the needs of the position you are seeking. And show how your experience is just what an employer needs. There's no substitute for detailed research into a sector or industry. You need to demonstrate your understanding of their business issues and challenges.
Leadership style and cultural fit are also critical. Remember to talk about how you've worked with colleagues and demonstrate your ability to collaborate. Think about the enduring contributions you've made, not just the short-term wins. The skill to deliver sustainable performance within an organisation is what employers are seeking following the credit crunch.
Emphasise your understanding of the importance of motivating and engaging the workforce. And finally, don't forget to ask your own questions - you need to know the organisation is the right place for you, and an employer must understand that it matters enough for you to ask.
Sally Cowing, development worker at WorkWise, a specialist training and employment body.
Here are my 10 tips for success at a job interview:
Ex-employees whose companies cannot afford outplacement?
Richard Alberg, CEO of MyWorkSearch, says there's no excuse for 'not affording outplacement' when so much is
offered for free...
I must declare a vested interest. I run an online outplacement firm. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provides our services free of charge to jobseekers via its Jobcentre Plus offices. I am writing this article because it is my experience that not many HR professionals, including Jobcentre Plus staff, are aware of what is available free of charge.
Many employers are able to assist staff that they are making redundant. This is typically a combination of in-house support and the services of an outplacement consultancy. Howe'ver, in these difficult times, there is not always the budget to do this. Indeed for many employees, job loss is due to their employer going out of business so there is no organisation to pay for an outplacement service.
Outplacement: a service often associated with senior executives in large corporates is being democratised through the power of the internet. The focus has shifted for 2010. Using new technology and moving online means outplacement is now an affordable service that organisations of all sizes can provide to their employees.
Recession has changed the outplacement landscape
Outplacement demand has changed dramatically. Budgets of several thousand pounds per person which were abundant a
few years ago are no longer available. Now it is more likely to be several hundred pounds and, as budgets are trimmed,
so too is the service provided.
Consultancies have been slow to adapt their services to the new challenges companies and jobseekers face in the recession. What used to be fairly comprehensive job search support and guidance has been replaced by a brief one to one, attendance at several lectures and a few handouts.
In another time, this might just still be enough to help someone get a job but it wont cut it during this recession. The employment landscape has changed. In 2010, no longer is it enough just to be qualified you have to be outstanding when competing with 50 to 150 others per role. When faced with this level of competition, even the best candidates can face despondency if, through no fault of their own, they are made redundant and become a member of the long-term unemployed.
Traditional outplacement just cannot deliver effective support on the scale it is currently needed without a huge budget.
So what is the answer? An increase in budgets is not likely so we must take a fresh look at how the whole outplacement service is delivered and find a format to meet the new demands.
Focus on technology and online outplacement
We have seen the recruitment sector successfully embrace technology and create automated online systems for jobseekers.
It has transformed the speed, quality, consistency, efficiency and costs of the recruitment process. I believe that
outplacement is now undergoing the same change and soon the process will be very different from what we have been used to.
Creating the online outplacement environment means that all the services an outplacement consultant provides can be accessed through on-demand e-learning. The power of automation means job search activities can be tracked, reminders provided and reports generated. Searching for and aggregation of vacancies, or identification of relevant employment sources is made simpler. Wizards with attractive templates make CV creation considerably easier than used to be the case.
Clearly, there are huge cost advantages to outplacement being provided through technology. Also unlike traditional outplacement, online programmes can be swiftly scaled and there are no logistical challenges in commencing the service. There are also no practical limits on resource provision. With traditional outplacement services, availability is rationed according to the budget, howe'ver a technology solution can be accessed 24/7 and provision is not constrained.
Speed and flexibility for outplacement jobseekers
Although we knew an online service could offer a cost effective and efficient outplacement service, the benefits to users
are proving more significant than we expected. The on-demand online process lends itself well to jobseekers who want to
immediately get stuck in and energetically commence their job search. In addition, individuals can use the service for
as many hours as they want. We are seeing considerable usage in the evenings as people at home do their research and
create job applications this wouldnt be possible with traditional outplacement services which operate in the usual
confines of a nine-to-five working day.
Another characteristic that we had not predicted is control. Being made redundant can be a major emotional blow. In addition to the worry about the future, someone else has decided that your job is coming to an end and you have to leave the organisation. This is a major loss of control. The assistance a web delivered service returns control to the job seeker. The individual can choose what to do, when to do it and how much to do. This is very important to a significant proportion of online outplacement users.
The bigger picture - the future of outplacement
Of course online delivery cant cover everything. There is the element of human contact missing at what is a very
stressful time. Howe'ver, in terms of its efficiency the online route is proving itself to be a powerful tool for the jobseeker.
The next couple of years will be very interesting for the sector. We will have a slowly recovering economy to deal with which will result in relatively high unemployment, job market volatility and competition for jobs. Large numbers of people will require assistance with their job search and technology will be the only way of cost-effectively meeting this demand. New and improved services will emerge and we will see innovation in a market that for many years has seen little change.
Richard Alberg takes his place in the Smarta hotseat.
0-5 seconds: Sum your business up in a sentence
MyWorkSearch provides comprehensive online job seeking support to the unemployed and an affordable
alternative outplacement service for employers.
5-10 seconds: What's the business model?
A classic Software as a Service (SaaS) in a market that hitherto has had an expensive time-based consultancy model.
A cost per head subscription or an organisation licence provides unlimited access to enrolled individuals.
10-15 seconds: Who are your competitors?
Traditional offline outplacement providers, fear of the new and those who do nothing.
15-20 seconds: What's your USP?
We're comprehensive, always available, customisable and low-cost.
20-25 seconds: How have you funded it so far?
We're self-funded.
25-30 seconds: What were you doing before?
I was the founder and CEO of PSL, a psychometric testing company that pioneered the online assessment market.
30-35 seconds: Where did the idea come from?
A conversation with a recruitment consultant about the market combined with a familiarity with technology,
business process automation and SaaS business models.
35-40 seconds: What's the smartest thing you've done so far?
Tailoring our product so that it helps Jobcentre Plus advisors support their unemployed clients.
40-45 seconds: What's the stupidest?
I spent three months thinking about the idea when I should have been busy building the business.
45-50 seconds: If your business was a biscuit, what would it be?
We'd be a cereal bar - they taste great and do good at the same time.
50-55 seconds: Which idea are you a bit jealous of?
Owners of great domain names; I was interested in the internet in the early '90s, but I didn't recognise the opportunity to register the many brilliant domains that were available.
55-60 seconds: Where are you going to be in 12 months' time?
We'll be the UK market leader in online career management and will be making progress with international expansion.
The huge challenges facing the public sector over the next few years to cut spending will regrettably mean redundancies for many public sector workers. Faced with this painful course of action, organisations of all shapes and sizes from local authorities, NHS health trusts and Government agencies will want to make it as painless as possible for all concerned, and do what they can to smooth the path to a new job for their ex-employees.
As an organisation you also want to safeguard yourself from litigation a reality that too many employers face undertaking redundancy action. Being seen to be doing everything in your power to ensure the wellbeing of the staff you are laying-off is an important defensive strategy. Offering outplacement support is one approach that will assist with this.
Traditionally, outplacement support has been the preserve of senior management in big private sector corporates with the money to fund one-to-one job search support and coaching sessions. Today, outplacement it is a mass market offering thanks to the power of technology. The world has changed and organisations of all shapes and sizes have the opportunity to support all employees going through redundancy.
The advice and guidance that has typically been provided by an outplacement consultant can now be received through on-demand e-learning. Clearly there are huge cost advantages which have implications for a sector facing significant budget cuts. Also, unlike traditional outplacement, online programmes can be swiftly tailored or scaled, and there are no logistical challenges in rapidly getting the service to its users. There are also no practical limits on resource provision. With traditional outplacement service availability is rationed according to the budget, howe'ver a technology solution can be accessed 24/7 and provision is not constrained.
Online outplacement services are also increasingly more relevant to the challenges of finding a new position in the toughest job market we've seen in years. In today's economic climate each job-seeker is competing with 50 to 150 others per role. With these odds the enthusiastic but unprepared candidate is in for a rude shock.
But now, many of the time consuming tasks that a job-seeker has to undertake can be automated. Examples include searching for and aggregation of vacancies, or identification of relevant employment sources. Wizards with attractive templates make creating targeted CVs considerably easier than used to be the case. Process automation means that job search activities can be tracked, reminders provided and reports generated. Triggers can monitor activity and provide encouragement and advice based on what a person has done, or indeed not done.
Managing redundancy is tough and being faced with redundancy is even tougher. On-demand online outplacement services offer both employer and employee an effective and affordable solution to a difficult and challenging situation.
Outplacement is changing. What was once predominantly a service designed for a relatively small number of senior executives is now a mass market offering. The problem is that although the name has remained the same the available budget has considerably changed. No longer are several thousand pounds per person available. It is now, at best, several hundred pounds and as budget is trimmed, so too is the service provided.
Making staff redundant is never an easy decision, even more so for Small to Medium sized Businesses, (SMEs) and entrepreneurial businesses that often don't have the resource of an HR function to support the process. Employers faced with this necessary course of action want to make it as painless as possible for all concerned and do what they can to smooth the path to a new job for their ex-employees.
As an organisation you also want to safeguard yourself from litigation - a reality that too many employers face undertaking redundancy action. Being seen to be doing everything in your power to ensure the wellbeing of the staff you are laying-off is an important defensive strategy and offering outplacement support could be the sugar which helps the medicine go down.
Traditionally, outplacement support has been the preserve of big employers with the money to fund one-to-one job search support and coaching sessions. Howe'ver, today outplacement it is now a mass market offering thanks to the power of technology. The world has changed and organisations of all shapes and sizes have the opportunity to support employees through redundancy.
The advice and guidance that has typically been provided by an outplacement consultant can now be received through on-demand e-learning. Clearly there are huge cost advantages which have implications for smaller organisations. Also, unlike traditional outplacement, online programmes can be swiftly scaled and there are no logistical challenges in commencing the service. There are also no practical limits on resource provision. With traditional outplacement service availability is rationed according to the budget, howe'ver a technology solution can be accessed 24/7 and provision is not constrained.
Online outplacement services are also increasingly more relevant to the challenges of finding a new position in the toughest job market we've seen in years. Each job-seeker in today's economic climate is competing with 50 to 150 others per role and with these odds the enthusiastic but unprepared candidate is in for a rude shock. Many of the laborious tasks that a job-seeker has to undertake can now be automated. Examples include searching for and aggregation of vacancies, or identification of relevant employment sources. Wizards with attractive templates make CV creation considerably easier than used to be the case. Process automation means that job search activities can be tracked, reminders provided and reports generated. Triggers can monitor activity and provide encouragement and advice based on what a person has done, or indeed not done.
Managing redundancy is tough and being faced with redundancy is even tougher, on-demand online outplacement service offers both employer and employee an efficient and cost-effective solution to a difficult and challenging situation
MyWorkSearch offers businesses a cost-effective way to support all ex-employees through the difficult process of finding a new role. The service provides users with tools, information and advice which can be tailored to individual needs. As the service is delivered online, jobseekers can access what they want, when they need it and manage the large number of job applications necessary to secure employment in the current market.
Richard Alberg, Founder and CEO of MyWorkSearch, believes traditional outplacement services are not addressing the challenges a jobseeker faces in the current landscape. He says: "MyWorkSearch provides support relevant to today's jobseeker in today's difficult job market. Outplacement is expensive and limited in scope, and has traditionally only been there for more senior executives in large corporates. MyWorkSearch enables SMEs, plcs and the public sector to offer effective, affordable jobseeking support to all staff being made redundant."
Devised by a team with a combined 60 years experience in the recruitment industry, MyWorkSearch provides everything from CV writing assistance and training through to workflow management and interview coaching as well as a comprehensive vacancy search facility.
Pete Harvey, a Banking Applications Specialist, is a user who has benefited from the service. He says: "Having recently been made redundant after 7 years working for a major investment bank, I never realised just how laborious the process for searching for my next job would be. No comprehensive software package existed that encompassed all key elements of the process. The software evolves along with you, the more you use the software the more features become available to assist you in the work search process. And yes I secured a new job!"
The service costs 250 for 18 months of practical, expert help. Alberg believes it therefore allows all sizes of companies to provide real help to staff they are making redundant.
MyWorkSearch offers businesses a cost-effective way to support all ex-employees through the difficult process of finding a new role. The service provides users with tools, information and advice which can be tailored to individual needs. As the service is delivered online, jobseekers can access what they want, when they need it and manage the large number of job applications necessary to secure employment in the current market.
Richard Alberg, Founder and CEO of MyWorkSearch, believes traditional outplacement services are not addressing the challenges a jobseeker faces in the current landscape. He says: MyWorkSearch provides support relevant to todays jobseeker in todays difficult job market. Outplacement is expensive and limited in scope, and has traditionally only been there for more senior executives in large corporates. MyWorkSearch enables SMEs, plcs and the public sector to offer effective, affordable jobseeking support to all staff being made redundant.
Devised by a team with a combined 60 years experience in the recruitment industry, MyWorkSearch provides everything from CV writing assistance and training through to workflow management and interview coaching as well as a comprehensive vacancy search facility.
Pete Harvey, a Banking Applications Specialist, is a user who has benefited from the service. He says: Having recently been made redundant after 7 years working for a major investment bank, I never realised just how laborious the process for searching for my next job would be. No comprehensive software package existed that encompassed all key elements of the process. The software evolves along with you, the more you use the software the more features become available to assist you in the work search process. And yes I secured a new job!
The service costs £250 for 18 months of practical, expert help. Alberg believes it therefore allows all sizes of companies to provide real help to staff they are making redundant.