What is Outplacement?

Key Benefits of Outplacement

• Helps employees move forward with clarity and confidence
• Supports emotional wellbeing during redundancy
• Protects employer brand and reputation
• Reduces legal and financial risks
• Maintains morale and engagement among remaining staff

Exploring outplacement for your organisation? Compare Chiumento’s programmes for executives, individuals and larger redundancy projects.

What should an employer look for in an outplacement provider?

An employer should look for an outplacement provider who offers a combination of personalised coaching, strategic tools, and measurable results. Key features to look for include:

1. One-to-one executive coaching personalised to the individual’s role, goals, and career stage.
2. Proven success rates in helping people secure the right next move, not just any job.
3. Comprehensive job search resources, from CV and LinkedIn optimisation to interview preparation.
4. Strong networking support and access to hidden job markets.
5. Global or cross-sector reach for leaders exploring wider opportunities.
6. Flexible delivery that adapts to different timelines and working patterns.
7. Discreet, supportive service that protects reputation and confidence during transition.

By choosing an outplacement partner with these qualities, organisations can ensure their departing employees are equipped for a successful, confident career move. Explore Chiumento’s UK outplacement programmes and implementation options.

More than a career transition…

Outplacement isn’t just about job search tools or writing CVs. It’s about supporting real people through one of life’s most uncertain moments—with empathy, structure, and belief in what comes next.

At Chiumento, we help people leave with:

Control

over their journey forward. 

Why Outplacement Matters

When facing redundancy, it can be stressful for both employer and employees. For staff affected, it’s natural to feel a bit lost about what comes next. That’s where career transition support comes in. But what is outplacement? 

Outplacement services are a type of career support that employers offer to staff who are leaving due to redundancy or settlement agreement. It’s designed to help people figure out their next steps, whether that’s finding a new job, switching careers, starting a business, or planning for retirement. The goal? To make a tough transition easier and help people land on their feet. For employers, this support enhances reputation, brand, and engagement.

In the UK, providing this kind of support is discretionary as part of a redundancy package. Whereas in some countries, it’s a statutory requirement and the rules can vary when it comes to global outplacement, so it’s important to check what applies in your Country. 

Chiumento’s career transition programmes go beyond handing over a CV template. They include:

• One-to-one coaching sessions

• Human support with CV drafting

• Live webinars focused on preparing for interviews

• Career planning and advice

• Industry insights and resources

• Mental health and wellbeing counselling

We see this support as much more than a box-ticking exercise. It’s a way to show genuine care for your people and help your organisation stay resilient through change. Our team is experienced in career coaching and trained in Mental Health First Aid to support both practical and emotional sides of career transition.

Supporting employees as they leave isn’t just the right thing to do; it also protects your brand, keeps morale high among remaining employees, and reduces legal or financial risks. Even in challenging times, it fosters a positive, supportive workplace culture.

With over 30 years of experience, Chiumento offers flexible, personal, tech-enabled services to help individuals and organisations come through change stronger and ready for what’s next.

What are the benefits of outplacement?

Offering structured support during redundancy is a strategic asset for organisations navigating change:

☑️ Puts Your Values into Practice

Offering support is a clear sign that you care about your people, not just your bottom line. Employer confidence remains close to record-low levels, with more than one in five UK employers (22%) still expecting to make redundancies in the next three months, rising to a quarter of public sector organisations (26%) (CIPD Labour Market Outlook, Spring 2026). Providing outplacement support demonstrates a genuine commitment to doing the right thing for your team, even in challenging times.

☑️ Reduces Stress and Supports Employee Wellbeing

Redundancy can be one of the most stressful experiences in a person’s working life. Career transition programmes provide practical help and emotional reassurance, guiding people through uncertainty and helping them regain confidence. With UK unemployment at 5.0% in the three months to March 2026 (ONS, May 2026) and job vacancies at some of their lowest levels in over a decade outside the pandemic, having expert support can make all the difference in helping someone find their next opportunity faster and with less anxiety.

☑️ Keeps People Engaged During Their Notice Period

You need your people to be engaged during the consultation process and it’s also common for employees to work their notice after being told their role is redundant. Without the promise of support, motivation and engagement is likely to ebb away. Outplacement sends a powerful message: “We still care about you and your future.” This can help maintain performance and engagement right up to their last day, smoothing the career transition for everyone involved.

☑️ Supports Remaining Staff and Maintains Business Continuity

How you treat leavers directly affects those who stay. When colleagues see that departing staff are supported with compassion and practical help, it reassures them about your company’s values and future.

This boost to morale and engagement helps reduce unwanted turnover and keeps productivity high at a time of uncertainty. By minimising disruption and maintaining business continuity, outplacement support allows your organisation to adapt more smoothly to change, whether you’re restructuring, downsizing, or pivoting to new markets.

According to the CIPD’s Labour Market Outlook for Spring 2026, organisations are prioritising cost management over growth and productivity, reflecting the cautious approach many businesses are taking in response to sustained economic pressure (CIPD, Spring 2026). In this environment, fairly and well-managed redundancies, backed by genuine support, are critical to protecting reputation and keeping organisations prepared for recovery when conditions improve.

☑️ Reduces Reputational and Legal Risks

The ideal scenario is that your leavers become ambassadors for your business not detractors. Outplacement helps people leave on good terms, reducing the risk of challenges and protecting your brand’s reputation. Helping people get re-settled also helps them move on. And who knows? They might tell friends and colleagues about how well you treated them.

☑️ Protects Your Employer Brand

Your reputation as an employer is shaped by how you handle tough moments. Outplacement as a means of redundancy support is increasingly recognised as a mark of a responsible, people-focused organisation. In a competitive job market, this can help you attract and retain top talent, especially as more candidates research employer practices before applying.

In summary, outplacement delivers value at every level. For employees, it provides practical tools, emotional support, and a faster route to new opportunities, helping people move forward with confidence and dignity. For organisations, it protects your brand, maintains morale, and reduces legal and operational risks. And financially, outplacement pays off (not just in that it is a non-taxable benefit): by helping people find work sooner and minimising disruption, it supports business stability and long-term success. 

In a challenging market, it’s not just the right thing to do, it’s a smart investment in your people and your business.

How does outplacement work?

While the exact process is shaped around each individual, most outplacement programmes follow a similar journey:

1. Referral. Once an employee’s departure is confirmed, the organisation refers them to Chiumento, usually as part of their redundancy package. Each leaver receives a unique registration code to access their support.

2. Initial consultation. A dedicated career coach is matched to the individual based on their role, seniority, and goals. The first session focuses on understanding where they are, what they need, and what “success” looks like for them, whether that’s a similar role, a career change, or something entirely different.

3. Ongoing one-to-one coaching. Regular coaching sessions, delivered remotely by video call or in person, cover everything from rebuilding confidence to identifying target roles. CV and LinkedIn profiles are professionally rewritten alongside this.

4. Practical job search support. Coaches help with interview preparation and career strategy, supported by on-demand resources, webinars, and eLearning the individual can use at their own pace.

5. Ongoing support until they land. Coaching continues for the length of the programme (typically several months, depending on the package chosen), with the same coach throughout, so individuals aren’t starting over with someone new partway through.

At Chiumento, this is delivered through a blend of personal, human coaching and tech-enabled tools, accessible by app, video call, or web, so people can engage with support wherever and whenever suits them. If you’d like to understand the cost of building this kind of support into a redundancy package, see our outplacement cost guide.

If you have any questions or want to learn more about how our outplacement support can help your organisation and people, please get in touch with us to request a confidential call.

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