We've Reimagined Outplacement Services

Why are we reimagining outplacement services?

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When we first started working with individuals whose roles had been impacted by significant organisational change, we’d often wish we could work with the team leading the change - not because we were anti what they were doing, but because for every impacted team member talking to us, there’d be at least a couple of others going through it alone, as well as a manager navigating conversations they likely didn’t get training in, team members left behind with feelings of guilt and overwhelm at the work left behind, and, from personal experience, an HR team member with a huge responsibility to manage all of that and more to get this change complete as well as their day to day, knowing the impact it would have on the individuals leaving the business.

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Managing a restructure or redundancy process isn’t just a legal or operational exercise. It’s emotional labour, risk management, communication strategy, and human support — all at once, with fewer resources than you had a week ago.

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Yet, most outplacement services focus on only one part of this system - there’s so much more to outplacement than what’s next for the impacted employee, and there’s more to that than what their next career move will be (albeit this is critically important).

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One idea we kept coming back to when we developed Impacted Advocates is this: we expect people to be responsible for their own recovery after a setback, but we rarely teach them how to do it.

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In work and in life, falling over is inevitable. Roles change. Organisations restructure. Careers take unexpected turns. Yet somewhere along the way, we decided that resilience, recovery, and composure are personal traits — not learned skills.

So when people are impacted by redundancy or role loss, the unspoken expectation is often: Pull yourself together. Be professional. Move on.

What’s missing is any shared language, structure, or support for how people actually get back up.

That gap is one of the reasons Impacted is so important to us. The system assumes people are already regulated, confident, and future-focused — at precisely the moment many are not.

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We believe good outplacement starts earlier, lasts longer, and goes wider.

At Impacted Advocates, outplacement is a people-centred intervention designed to stabilise humans and systems during one of the most challenging moments in working life.

Our approach is built on a few core beliefs:

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1. Information alone is not enough
Most impacted employees don’t just need to know what their entitlements are. They need help processing shock, fear, anger, and uncertainty — so they can actually use that information effectively.

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2. Emotional regulation is a capability, not a personality trait
When people are dysregulated, conversations deteriorate, risk increases, and trust erodes. Supporting regulation — for individuals, managers, and teams — is foundational to good outcomes.

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3. Managers need support too
Most managers are promoted for performance, not trained for moments like redundancy, redeployment, or performance exits. Leaving them unsupported is unfair — and costly.

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4. The ‘survivor group’ matters
Those who remain often carry guilt, fear, and overload. Ignoring them undermines engagement, retention, and recovery.

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Our outplacement model is designed to complement — and improve — how organisations manage change.  How an organisation supports people through exits directly shapes engagement, retention, and financial performance long after the change is complete.

It includes:

• Independent, confidential advocacy for impacted individuals
• Practical guidance on rights, options, and next steps — delivered in a way people can actually absorb
• Support with emotional regulation and communication so individuals can stay grounded and clear
• Support for managers navigating complex conversations
• A system-aware approach that reduces escalation, conflict, and long-tail risk

We de see our work as risk-reducing, dignity-protecting, and relationship-preserving.

Good outplacement doesn’t just help people find their next role.

It helps organisations do difficult things well — and helps people leave with clarity, agency, and their humanity intact.

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Change Impacts us all - that’s why we believe outplacement needs to change. 

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