Outplacement services grow with increased redundancies

The study shows 78% of employers believe that the provision of outplacement could improve the organisation's reputation, while more than half (55%) think it could help them be seen as an employer of choice.

Although redundancy and outplacement do not naturally sit with staff retention, 65% of employers agree that offering this kind of support for staff being made redundant helped retain the others who remain.

More than 70% of employers believe offering outplacement helps line managers to implement redundancies with a clearer conscience and 87% of line managers say providing redundant staff with this kind of support eases the pressure on them.

Stuart Lindenfield, head of transition services at Reed Consulting, said: "Organisations recognise the value of outplacement support to help improve their reputation, increase their ability to retain key staff during times of change and support line managers to deliver the message with a clearer conscience."