Collective outplacement: supporting employees into the next stage of their careers
What is collective outplacement?
Collective outplacement supports a group of employees affected by a transformation or a change in the company’s organisation as they move into the next stage of their working lives.
It allows the company to roll out a shared programme on a large scale, while offering individual support tailored to each person’s skills, experience and plans.
The aim is to help each employee build a realistic career path, while protecting their transition and the entitlements provided for under the company’s scheme. Collective outplacement, often organised through a dedicated outplacement support centre, helps employees find a new professional solution. This may be a new job, an internal or external move, a career change, training, starting or taking over a business, or an end-of-career plan.
When should you set up collective outplacement?
Collective outplacement can be set up in a range of situations involving organisational or workforce change, for example during a reorganisation or restructuring, a redundancy plan, a voluntary redundancy plan, an internal mobility programme or a workforce and skills planning initiative.
In a redundancy plan, collective outplacement is one of the redeployment measures provided to support the employees concerned. Usually organised through an outplacement support centre, it helps employees build and carry out their new career plans.
Our collective outplacement support
Scope the programme
Working with the HR department, we define the scope of the support, the employees concerned, the possible career paths and how the programme will be managed. The aim: to set a clear framework suited to the company's context and to the issues raised by the transformation.
Assess and guide each employee
Before departures are confirmed, an information and advice point can be set up to inform the employees concerned about the scheme, the measures available and the options open to them.
It also gives employees a space to start thinking about their situation, ask questions and receive initial guidance before committing to a particular path.
Start the support through the outplacement support centre
Once departures are confirmed, the outplacement support centre takes over and supports each employee individually.
We review their career history, skills, potential and prospects, to identify realistic options and build a suitable career plan.
Build and carry out the plan
Depending on the situation, we support employees towards a new job, an internal or external move, a career change, training, starting or taking over a business, a geographical move or an end-of-career plan.
Combine individual support with group momentum
One-to-one meetings are complemented, where needed, by workshops and peer discussion sessions. These help employees work on practical steps, share experiences and keep up momentum throughout the transition.
Monitor progress and measure results
We track the programme's progress with the HR department using indicators, shared tracking tools and steering committees. Depending on the project, satisfaction surveys can also be used.
Why set up collective outplacement?
For employees
- Regain a sense of direction: take stock of their career history, skills and options
- Prepare for the job market: work on positioning, application materials and interviews
- Benefit from group momentum: talk with peers, share experiences and stay motivated
- Explore several career routes: consider a move, a career change, training or starting a business
For the HR and the company
- Manage the human side of the transformation: offer practical support to the employees concerned and maintain a constructive climate
- Keep control of the scheme and its costs: structure the programme, steer the actions and track progress through shared indicators
- Talk with peers, share experiences and stay motivated: mobilise several routes (employment, mobility, career change, training or entrepreneurship) depending on the situation
- Preserve social and operational balances: support those leaving, reassure the teams who stay and give HR visibility on career paths and results
Why choose Alixio Group?
Solutions suited to each career plan
Return
to work
Support employees with their positioning and their job search.
Career change
and training
Assess skills and build a new career direction when the plan calls for a change of job or new skills.
Starting or taking over a business
Support the assessment of the business idea, its feasibility, the business plan, the search for funding and the launch of the business.
Mobility and the end
of one’s career
Prepare for internal, external, or geographical mobility and, where appropriate, provide support for the transition from active employment to retirement.
Being part of a group, and that positive momentum, really helped.
This testimonial from an employee supported during a redundancy plan shows the value of combining one-to-one support with the strength of the group during a period of transition.
Let’s build your collective outplacement programme together
Every transformation has its own context, challenges and employee groups.
Working with your HR department, we build a programme that combines a collective framework, individual support and operational oversight, including an outplacement support centre where the situation calls for one, to help each employee move into the next stage of their working life.
Q&A – Collective outplacement
Who is collective outplacement for?
Collective outplacement is designed for groups of employees affected by a transformation, a reorganisation or collective redundancies. It can involve employees at different levels of responsibility and forms part of a wider mobility or redeployment scheme.
What is the difference between collective and individual outplacement?
Individual outplacement is built around one person's career path, with personalised support. Collective outplacement involves several employees: it is based on a shared framework, complemented by support tailored to each person's situation and plans.
What is an outplacement support centre?
An outplacement support centre is a support structure set up to help employees affected by a restructuring or collective redundancies build and carry out a new career plan. It can combine assessment, guidance, one-to-one support, group workshops and help with job searching, career change or other career plans.
What kinds of plans can be supported?
Career paths can lead to a new job, a move, a career change, training, starting or taking over a business, or other types of work depending on each person's plans. Alixio Group brings in a range of expertise to support these career paths.
How does the support work?
The programme can combine individual assessment, evaluation and guidance, personalised support, group workshops and activities to connect people with the job market. When an outplacement support centre is set up, it provides the operational framework for organising and tracking this support. Regular follow-up then allows actions to be adjusted as each person progresses.
How can HR track the programme's results?
Alixio provides oversight and results-measurement tools, including steering committees, performance indicators, shared tracking tools and satisfaction surveys.
Can collective support be combined with individual career paths?
Yes. That is the whole principle: offering a shared programme to several employees while tailoring the support to each person's skills, experience and plans. This keeps the programme consistent overall while taking individual needs into account.
Can Alixio support different plans within the same programme?
Yes. Depending on the situation, the teams can bring in several areas of expertise to support employees' career paths: employment, mobility, career change, entrepreneurship, training and skills development, or career progression.
Can the support be rolled out in several countries?
Yes. Alixio Group has international reach and combines Group expertise with local resources. The Group's People Mobility services cover individual and collective outplacement, among others, depending on the market.
