Creating RFPs for outplacement services (with templates)

The worst scenario has occurred. One that you’ve been fighting against for ages. You’ve got to shed some employees. But what’s the best way to go about it? You want to make it as pain-free as possible for all concerned. Including outplacement services for outgoing members of staff is so important. This will give them the confidence to move forward with their career transition, while protecting the company brand and your reputation.

360 degree offboarding is not just a box ticking exercise, but an integral part of the employee experience which has long-term effects on succession planning and talent management strategies. And because outplacement is such a major part of this process, your HR department needs to know what to look for when choosing the best outplacement provider for your company.

This is when participating in a RFP (Request For Proposal) is required. There are many outplacement providers out there, all offering different things. Therefore, identifying the right one for your purposes is vital so that the services have a positive result.

In order to keep you on track, and  so you fully understand what to look for, here is an easy guide that takes you through the outplacement RFP process.

Outplacement RFPs are a crucial part of the process when debating which outplacement service to choose. An outplacement RFP is a document that specifies what your company requires from an outplacement provider that will meet your outplacement needs, timeline, and budget. If any outplacement firms can meet your requirements, they then respond to your RFP with a bid to secure the contract to become your outplacement provider.

So, do you need an outplacement RFP? Whether you’re looking for outplacement services or not at the moment, it’s still a sensible idea to have a template ready so you have it to hand when you do need it.

Now it’s time to get into the nitty gritty of creating an outplacement RFP for your business.

At the end of the day, you want an outplacement RFP that is clear, concise, and professional, as this will increase your chances of getting a favourable response. Your RFP needs to communicate your specific requirements to outplacement providers, so they can fully understand them and decide if they’re able to comply with them. 

Check out the 7 stages that you need to follow in order to get to the point of having a clear RFP.

1. Identify your outplacement needs

Consider the question: what does your organisation actually need from outplacement services? This takes into account the type of services, specific offerings that meet your needs, and the available budget. Effective outplacement RFPs record all administrative details of your project, so compile a comprehensive list covering everything that you want an outplacement firm to include, how and where their services are delivered, the timeline of completion, and at what cost.

For instance, you might require an outplacement provider to include virtual support, cutting-edge technology, an unlimited time frame, or specialist coaching services.

1. Introduce your company

The RFP will need to incorporate a thorough introduction. Explain what your current situation is, why you’re putting forward this RFP, and how you’re hoping that an outplacement provider will help. This stage might include an overview of more in-depth details, such as a target start date, deadline, and long-term goals. 

As an added extra, it’s worth including some background about your company such as what you do, the history of the firm, and its values, as this will help providers determine whether they’d be a good fit or not. 

1. Divulge potential obstacles

To get it all out in the open, it’s worth describing any potential challenges you can foresee that might have to be faced during the outplacement process. These can include HR issues, legal concerns, business conflicts, or any other barriers to success.

It’s all about being open and transparent. Of course, you don’t want to spook any potential respondents, but it’s much better to be honest about possible roadblocks so providers can have an accurate view of whether they’d be fully equipped to get around them and fulfil your needs at the same time.

1. Detail how prospective providers should reply

So that you get a good amount of quality responses, it’s a good idea to detail how you expect providers to respond to your RFP. That way, if they all follow the same format, the responses will be much easier to compare and break down. It can even go into the detail of how and where to send their responses i.e. email, online, or post, as well as providing a point of contact if the provider has any questions. It’s worth specifying how many copies should be included, how it should be addressed, and in what format. It’s likely there will be legal documents they need to sign and attach with their proposal. With that in mind, provide a checklist which details all the completed documents they need to include with the RFP response.

1. Give a deadline

Outline key deadlines that providers need to follow, such as when they need to get their response back to you, when you’ll announce who won the contract, when the outplacement project starts, and when it should finish. This last one is tricky to pinpoint, especially if you want all of your displaced employees to be supported until placed in a new role. You may also want to note down any dates of related events that might impact the timeline of the project. 

Giving these deadlines will help providers to assess whether their schedule dovetails with yours, and if it’s possible for them to meet your requirements. Bear in mind that you must give responders enough time to err… respond, which means communicating your submission deadline far enough in advance. The more detailed your requirements and project needs are, the more time should be given to providers to submit their replies.

1. Set out your selection criteria

We’ve come to realise that it’s best to be as transparent as possible through this process. That means setting out how you’re going to select the winning candidate from all the respondents. Describe how this will be based on your organisation’s outplacement requirements, its goals and priorities, and the particular credentials of the preferred provider, such as coaching certifications, engagement rates, average job landing rates, and retention rates.

This criteria will help providers formulate a response that best demonstrates how they would meet the project needs, a bit like matching your CV to a job description. It also helps you and your organisation to select the best outplacement provider in a fair and reliable way.

1. Proofread and finalise

Once you have collated all of this, take some time to review the content, making sure you’ve included all the relevant details, and then proofread it so you don’t send it out with any errors. Identify any parts that need extra clarification or explanation and ensure it’s in the right format. A good tip here is to have some colleagues cast their eye over it, as a fresh pair of eyes can make all the difference to spotting something you might have missed – especially if you’ve been working on it for a long time. You want to create an outplacement RFP that excites responses, so it should be as clear and professional as possible.

To help with the process of revising and finalising, let’s look at how to format all of the information you’ve gathered, as well as review an outplacement RFP template as an example. 

Having grasped the right steps in order to compile the requirements and details of your outplacement RFP, it’s time to put all of that information into a typical format. Usually, it consists of 5 areas that cover all of this vital communication.

In this next section, we’ll detail out each part, with RFP template examples, so you can organise all of the information into a cohesive and professional RFP that’s ready to distribute and receive valid responses. 

1. Company background and introduction

Start off your outplacement RFP with a heading, an introduction, and background information on your organisation, including the history and values, while adding context to your current requirements. 

1. Outplacement needs

This is the part where you need to outline your current outplacement needs, along with the specific requirements you’re after. This will include your desired outplacement services, credentials, criteria, budget, and any other administrative details that providers will need to address within their response.

1. The submission process and deadlines

Here, you need to fill in the specific steps and format you want providers to follow when sending in their RFP responses. 

1. Terms and conditions

This is the legal bit, with the T&Cs for the project, including contract specifics and legal terms that govern the outplacement RFP. This is the chance to add in additional criteria or qualifications that you want prospective outplacement providers to meet, or any other questions you require them to answer in their responses. If you’re including any legal documents within the RFP, make sure your legal department is on board to draft and finalise these before sending out. 

1. Fees and delivery schedule 

This last section should lay out fees for the proposed pricing plan, based on your project budget and required services, as well as when the proposing outplacement provider will deliver their services. 

Once your compelling and professional outplacement RFP template has been formatted and finalised, you’ll be ready to distribute it to various outplacement providers that you’re considering, and then wait for any responses. 

The next step is knowing what to look for when those responses come in, and the key differentiators that set some providers apart from others. 

Outplacement services should start as soon as employees are aware of starting the journey of exiting from the company. The way of getting them on track is with 1-2-1 coaching that is personalised to them, taking a holistic view towards securing them a new role. This coaching service should be available at convenient times to the participant and last until they have found a new job. This is often called “until placement” or “until landing.”

This model means that exiting employees across all levels can take part in outplacement services without the fear of knowing the services might cease after three or four months. It also allows these job seekers to explore what the next step in their career path will be, with a coaching expert right by their side throughout the whole process. 

Once a participant finds a new role, they should be able to carry on using outplacement services for as long as they like, to connect with fellow participants and attend relevant webinars.

Careerminds offers all of the above, with an outplacement programme that lasts for as long as the participant needs it.

Running alongside personalised coaching should be a compelling CV, which takes the latest best practice into account. Compiling a CV that works and getting through applicant tracking systems (ATS) used by a lot of businesses is a skill that many people don’t possess. This could partly be because they’ve been employed, and therefore haven’t needed to update their job search documents for a while. CVs do get outdated, ATS technology gets better, and writing a CV that’s fresh and relevant can seem really daunting to many participants.

Most outplacement firms should recognise this, so they employ expert CV Consultants to either review or fully rewrite CVs for participants. This lessens the stress on the participant, as it’s one less thing for them to worry about, ensuring they are presenting their best selves in the world of work.

Careerminds offers this as part of an outplacement package, crafting industry-ready CVs that help get participants to the interview stage.

For global businesses, it can be a nightmare tracking participants on outplacement programmes. Any outplacement provider worth their salt should provide services that are tailored to every location of your company. This contemporary global model needs coaches that are ready to be deployed across the world; coaches that have insight into every market, local customs, and localised job search techniques.

To complement this global model, virtual delivery is a must. Delivering virtually means outplacement providers can contain costs and reach out to many more participants, no matter where they are in the world. From the participants’ point of view, this allows them flexibility when using services, connecting with coaches, and conducting a thorough job search.

Careerminds prides itself on delivering a modern global outplacement model.

There’s really no excuse, in this day and age, for not providing up-to-the-minute data, metrics, and insights into how well an outplacement programme is working. It’s a given that this should be included in an outplacement package. Otherwise, how are you going to know if an outplacement company does what it promises?

With data covering ROI, landing visibility, and satisfaction, your company can monitor the process to make sure your departing employees are getting the best possible level of support. This, then, allows organisations to reap the benefits that outplacement has to offer, such as boosting the company brand and reducing the levels of stress for both those employees who are leaving and those who are staying.

Careerminds tracks all metrics to the nth degree, with one of the insights showing that it takes only 11.5 weeks, on average, for participants to secure a new position.

How do outplacement providers work with clients? The answer you want to extract here is that there is a true and honest business partnership between the two, with support and encouragement right at the top of the agenda, from the headcount streamlining exercise and delivering the devastating news of redundancies through to providing training for remaining employees.

Providers should work closely with their clients so that all aspects of the outplacement programme go smoothly, without impacting staff retention or creating any negative brand exposure.

Careerminds has clients’ best interests at heart, collaborating closely with them throughout the process.

Check that the provider you opt for is able to adjust their services to suit different job types and skill levels. There should be unlimited and tailored support, no matter what level a participant is at and what their next job move is going to be.

An outplacement programme for an experienced executive, for example, will be very different to a middle management position or an entry-level worker. Each role will have a different path, which should be reflected in the programme offered and in the individual’s needs and wants.

Careerminds offers a flexible service that fully supports all participants, no matter what their position. 

The RFP process is right at the start of pinpointing the right outplacement service for your company’s and departing employees’ needs. You need a comprehensive RFP that invites providers to compete for a contract, so you can select the right one to meet your specific requirements.

This article has taken you, step-by-step, through the whole process of creating an outplacement RFP template ready to use to find your ideal outplacement provider.

There is an increasing need for contemporary, next-gen outplacement that addresses a range of organisational concerns beyond just helping displaced workers back into the workplace. These focus on employee experience, global support, virtual services, flexibility, and transparent business partnerships, coming together to form a service that improves the employer brand while working in conjunction with clients to create a holistic offboarding experience that works for each employee.

If you’re considering employing outplacement services, contact us at the earliest opportunity to find out how we can help you.

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.