01

Outplacement explained for executives and HR leaders

Outplacement is the career transition support a company offers to employees who leave, usually after a restructuring, a merger, a change of strategy or a change of leadership. It is paid by the employer, often negotiated as part of a severance package, and for executives it typically includes individual coaching, CV and positioning work, and access to a network or a resource centre.

Its purpose is twofold: help the person land their next role, and protect the company's reputation with the people who stay, with future candidates and with the market. When it works, everyone benefits. When it does not, it becomes a box-ticking exercise that neither side values.

02

Built for preparation, not for execution

The classic model was designed for another job market: workshops, CV templates, coaching sessions and a job board. It helps people get ready, and good coaches add real value. But it leaves the hardest part, actually reaching the right decision makers at the right time, to the candidate alone.

For senior profiles that gap is where months are lost. Many executive roles are filled through networks and search firms before they are advertised. A departing executive's network is often concentrated in one company and one sector. And running hundreds of targeted conversations alone, while managing the emotional weight of a departure, is hard. Searching this way, executives commonly need 12 to 24 months.

03

Start from the outcome, then engineer the path

Patching the old model was not enough. We started from the outcome, an offer in 3 to 6 months, and worked backwards. The answer was to run a job search like a commercial pipeline, with the same discipline a sales team applies to new business, and to combine technology with senior people:

• Signals: funding rounds, acquisitions, new plants, regulatory approvals and leadership moves show which companies are likely to need a leader now.
• Data: company and contact lists, verified emails and a scoring model that ranks segments by profile fit, size and urgency.
• Automation: outreach and follow-ups at a constant weekly volume, tracked in a live dashboard, so nothing falls through the cracks.
• People: senior coaching, mentoring and mental performance support. Technology opens doors; people convert them.

The result is a programme that does not only prepare people for the market, but takes them to it, and helps everyone, not only the best-networked, find their next opportunity.

04

Newplacement: what is in the programme

Weeks 0 to 4, understand and assess. Calibration of targets, roles and volumes; review of CV and LinkedIn; a 360° profile and what the person is famous for.

Weeks 3 to 8, brand and plan. Story and pitch, optionally a personal page and film, and a week-by-week workplan with company and contact lists.

Weeks 6 to 16, reach, apply and convert. Signals analytics, outreach to decision makers, recruiters and search firms, applications and preparation before every interview, until there are offers to choose from.

05

A checklist for HR and people leaders

• Does the provider run the search, or only prepare the candidate?
• Is there a measurable plan, with weekly volumes, and reporting you can follow?
• Are coaches senior enough to be credible with the executives concerned?
• Can the programme handle a sector or country change, not only a like-for-like move?
• How are confidentiality and the company's reputation protected?

Faster transitions protect the employer brand, reduce the human cost of a restructuring and show remaining teams that people are treated well. 1Signature® delivers newplacement by cohort, with reporting for HR and tailored pricing.

06

Frequently asked questions

Is outplacement worth it for an executive? It is when it shortens the search. Ask any provider what they actually run for you, how they measure progress, and how long their executive clients take to land.

Can I ask for outplacement in my severance negotiation? Many executives do, and many employers agree. You can also ask for the budget to be used with the provider of your choice.

Can I buy it myself if my employer does not offer it? Yes. Our packages start with a one-off search plan at €500, network as a service at €500 per month, a three-month spot search at €2,500, or the all-inclusive VIP package from €7,500.

For HR teams and individuals: see our outplacement and Opportunities packages.