Key benefits for Outplacement Support in Hong Kong

Companies today face stark choices in how best to respond to the challenges of a fiercely competitive market. Typically, these choices often centre on budgets; where can savings be made and how quickly and effectively can they be implemented? Hard decisions have to be made and nowhere are they harder than when they relate to staff, often the biggest single overhead of a business’s cost.

For many companies this has meant reductions in headcounts whilst simultaneously maintaining efficiency and service levels.

Having confronted this decision the question arises as to how best to handle those loyal and hardworking colleagues, those members of the company’s workforce who often have given years if not decades of loyal and valued service to that organization and whose roles have now been determined to be redundant. In an ideal world, these exercises would be carefully planned out from the initial stage to the end, including message delivery, role reassignments to transition timeline. However, more often than not, these changes need to happen fast, leading to potential miscommunication and confusion at multiple layers within an organization. This is when employers may consider the support of an outplacement service. 

LHH Hong Kong, (formerly known as Lee Hecht Harrison) is a market leader in working with employers to help them confront this challenge and optimally manage the often life changing process of employee disengagement.

A Bridge to Connect to Future Careers

The benefits to the employee of our outplacement service are manifold. LHH’s approach centres on leading the impacted individual through initial feelings of negativity both in terms of their own self-image and towards the former employer. In a very real sense, LHH becomes the bridge over which an individual transitions between their former employer to their future career with their new employer in Hong Kong or in other geographies.

A dedicated consultant is assigned to each candidate joining the program and is their trusted confidante and advisor. LHH provides a safe environment in which to discuss feelings and emotions, helping to restore self-esteem and confidence.

A Companion and A Guide on the Candidate Journey

Candidates are guided how to write a professional resume that will get the attention of hiring managers and search consultants, and how to introduce their strengths – and weaknesses – clearly and concisely and how to identify their transferrable skills, thereby opening up a wider range of job possibilities. Particular emphasis is put on interviewing techniques, how to respond to difficult questions, and the importance of body language and tone of voice. Candidates find this particularly helpful in boosting their confidence when attending job interviews; this is especially true for those who have been with their employer for many years and consequently lack the awareness and skills to achieve a positive and successful job interview.

They are introduced to different job search strategies. What works, what doesn’t. How to network. They are alerted to important caveats regarding working with search firms and how to respond to advertised openings and how best to target a company. 

A Lifetime Commitment from LHH 

In addition to working with a dedicated consultant, candidates are given access to LHH’s digital career resource platform detailing a wealth of online information, training, podcasts, live tutorials. Lifetime access is provided at no cost for almost all the content.

Experience has shown that candidates benefit greatly from this service and are highly appreciative of their former employer’s commitment to helping them transition to the next chapter of their career. A poorly managed exit on the other hand can have a lasting impact on the departing staff member and lead to strongly negative feelings towards the employer. And as important as these benefits are to impacted employees, the provision of an outplacement program helps reassure the remaining workforce that the employer is highly cognisant of its obligations and commitment to the continuing welfare of its staff. This has a clear impact on the morale and spirit of the team that in turn makes an obvious contribution to the future success of the employer’s business.