The best outplacement firms

When shopping for outplacement services, you probably want to know which is the best outplacement firm. The need for these services normally happens during a redundancy drive, a particularly stressful time for all of those concerned. It’s not really the time when you want to be burdened with worrying about whether you’ve chosen the best outplacement firm around, that fits your business and employee needs.

Here, at Careerminds, we’re so confident in our outplacement services that we’re willing to showcase our competitors and what they have to offer. To help you better understand what sets these companies apart, we’ve taken a look at the top outplacement firms to see what makes them tick. This list includes descriptions of the UK’s best outplacement firms taken from their websites. However, this is not a compare and contrast exercise, simply a stating of facts about what these outplacement firms can offer.

Keep in mind that it’s difficult to get a real sense of a provider’s outplacement services from a short article such as this one, so do make sure you conduct your own research into these companies. Then it’s up to you to decide which is the best fit.

But first off, let’s summarise what outplacements firms are all about.

When surveying an outplacement firm list, it’s difficult to surmise what constitutes good outplacement services, as opposed to bad, unless you understand what outplacement actually is. You want a service that supports your departing workforce in as robust a way as possible during their career transitions, employing digital tools, and a tech-savvy approach combined with a personalised service that provides you and your employees with the best of both worlds.

The main outplacement services to look out for, to help outgoing employees secure new roles, include expert career coaching, CV and LinkedIn optimisation, job search training, and continuous support that is easy to use and easily accessible from anywhere in the world and at any time of day or night. That’s because outplacement services should cover all stages of the career transition process from the start, when a worker is laid off, to the finish, when the worker finds a new position.

Let’s take a look at the best outplacement firms in the UK and what services they provide when supporting employees through a career transition, beginning with our own outplacement services at Careerminds.

Yes, of course we’re biased! So we top the list. It would be odd if we didn’t. We offer up numerous resources that illustrate why we’re top of this outplacement firm list. This is the core of what makes us different from other providers, as stated on our website:

 “We remove the stress that can come with making that next career move. By offering comprehensive outplacement and career transitioning services, we help businesses and individuals navigate their way through the transition period and ultimately succeed in the next step.”

One of the main differentiators at Careerminds is that we don’t have any limits on our services and don’t charge retainer fees. We work with your employees until placement i.e. as long as we’re needed, to help secure an employee a new position that is right for them. We also only charge you when you require our services, proving that we are so confident in our outplacement services that we know we’ll succeed, however long that might take.

When it comes to something as important as finding a new position, it’s good to know that the outplacement service at Careerminds is flexible enough to be able to work with individuals and each one’s unique needs. Careerminds works with clients as a truly strategic partner until all participants are placed. We couple this unique unlimited support with a virtual outplacement platform and innovative technology, along with career coaches that are dedicated to steering participants through every stage of the outplacement process. 

Each participant receives comprehensive e-learning training, tools, and 1-2-1 coaching so they can improve their CVs, learn how to search the hidden job market, become expert networkers, and update social media accounts such as LinkedIn, to help them apply for the jobs they really want. 

But what if some of your workforce are geographically dispersed? There’s no need to worry on that score. At Careerminds, we harness the power of the internet to offer cost-effective, global outplacement for clients regardless of where they are located. This modern, high-tech approach allows us to be anywhere our client is, while ensuring that the service has a human element to it as well.

These facts and figures say it all:

• We boast a 95% placement rate
• Enjoy 80% plus in engagement rates
• It takes under 12 weeks, on average, for participants to secure another position
• We offer personalised services at lower prices than other outplacement companies

Take a moment to download our comparison sheet so you can see the true difference between Careerminds and our competitors. We strive for, and achieve, transparency in everything. 

LHH, which stands for Lee Hecht Harrison, purports to be one of the largest outplacement firms in the world, with a strong presence here in the UK. LHH is one of several brands under umbrella company the Adecco Group, which is the world’s second largest HR provider and temporary staffing firm and a Fortune Global 500 company to boot. This huge size serves as both an advantage and a disadvantage. 

Their wide-reaching outplacement provision offers a personalised approach, with a network of UK career coaches providing customised guidance to clients across a variety of industries, along with comprehensive CV reviews. Additionally, they provide talent sourcing and hiring solutions, including recruitment solutions, leadership development, and career mobility through employee training programmes. 

Here is a sample of what they say about their services:

“We have helped thousands of people, who have experienced redundancy, successfully transition to the next stage of their career. Through our support and guidance, we help people discover and explore what career opportunities are open to them,” reports the company on their site.

The philosophy of Right Management is, “Empower individuals. Improve performance. Elevate engagement. Increase retention,” according to the home page of their website. They are another global talent management company with a UK arm, and sit under the parent company of Talent Solutions (ManpowerGroup). They provide services across more than 75 countries, helping businesses engage, develop, and retain their workforce by leveraging data and insight that drive forward on talent decisions. 

With industry-leading experts in career coaching and job connections that provide clients with skilled talent, they claim to help find meaningful and sustainable employment for countless numbers of participants across a range of industries and skills. 

Here’s how Right Management describes its services on the website:

“Our personalised approach to coaching, proprietary career transition technology, assessment tools, and curated job search resources ensure that former employees at all levels find fulfilling futures.”

Part of the Aon company, NFP claims to be “a specialist people and insurance risk management business that creates sustainable solutions, both locally and internationally, for organisations and employees.” With over 30 years of experience, they offer the full package of outplacement services, covering individuals, groups, executive, international, and internal redeployment. The company offers up specialist support and flexible outplacement that matches all employees’ needs.

The website takes you through the reasons why it is beneficial to employ outplacement services, saying, 

“Without specialist support, you may find your organisation gets a negative reputation in the wider market, your poor reputation makes it harder to attract the best talent, your remaining employees are influenced by the lack of support given, and your restructuring process doesn’t go smoothly, making a difficult situation worse.”

With global experts, tailored support, and expert industry knowledge, Intoo claims to be “one of the world’s leading specialist providers of outplacement services, providing outplacement support that is simple, cost effective and results focused”, with 96% of their clients recommending their services.

The company’s online career transition tool, INTOO4you, is “designed to support individuals in effectively transitioning their career, covering all aspects of job search and other career paths such as self-employment and contracting as well as personal branding.”

There’s an easy-to-fill-out contact form to receive further information, as well as a chance to subscribe to their newsletter to learn more about INTOO’s solution in action.

Korn Ferry is a global organisational consulting firm, working with UK clients from their London and Manchester bases. The team is made up of 1,200 members of staff who speak 35 languages among them and support clients across the globe, with a client list that boasts 85% of the FTSE 100. The website states:

“Our mission in the UK is to offer exceptional support to private, public, and government organisations in the UK and around the world… Our goal is to restore your employees’ well-being – financial, mental, and physical wellness, all of which are impacted by a change in career path. We help your employees reskill and upskill, with over 3,000 courses and leadership workshops, so they have the edge in interviews and shine throughout their careers. Employees also get indefinite access to our online career management site for as long as they like, helping to position them for job growth over time.”

It goes without saying that there are plenty of other firms out there offering outplacement assistance services, such as career transition coaching, advice on the job search, salary negotiation, CV refreshes, and support during the interview preparation stage. This sampling of firms provides some detail on some of the best outplacement firms, with information taken straight from each company’s website. 

If you’re seeking outplacement support for outgoing employees, while attracting the best talent, protecting your brand, and keeping remaining employees happy, we suggest you ask tough questions, get references, and schedule a demo to make sure the outplacement firm you favour is the right fit for your business.

If you think that Careerminds might be the one for you, with a great return on your investment, we would encourage you to dig a little deeper into the successes and specifics of our programmes so you are doubly sure that we offer what you require.

If your organisation is considering using outplacements services, at Careerminds we’re here for you every step of the way. Contact us today to see how we can help.

Elizabeth Openshaw

Elizabeth Openshaw has over 12 years of experience in the job search sector, including extensive expertise in outplacement and CV reviews. Previously a Journalist on national publications, she is Director of her own company, OpenDoor CV Expertise Ltd. You can connect with her at Elizabeth Openshaw | LinkedIn.