choosing a partner you can trust
Selecting a career transition partner is one of the most sensitive choices you will make. Outplacement and redeployment providers act as an extension of your teams and brand, supporting your employees during difficult moments. The right partner delivers measurable outcomes, scales without friction and represents your values with care. The wrong choice creates risk, inconsistency and reputational harm.
An effective outplacement provider combines proven expertise, scalable technology and a people-first approach. Evaluate partners on their ability to deliver consistent quality at scale, show transparent outcomes by level and geography, and integrate seamlessly with your systems. Look for surge capacity, clear SLAs and reporting you can govern with confidence.
- Global reach with local expertise: Deliver consistently across regions while tailoring to local laws, cultures and languages.
- Scalability and flexibility: Mobilize quickly from single executive exits to large restructurings, maintaining quality at speed for organizations of every size.
- Blended delivery model: Combine human coaching with effective digital tools to provide people with empathy and momentum, while HR gains clarity on progress and outcomes.
- Proven outcomes: Share transparent data by level and geography on time to land, pay outcomes and satisfaction, backed by dashboards and case studies.
- Employer brand stewardship: Represent your culture in every interaction with impacted employees, managers and leaders.
- Innovation and personalization: Personalize coach matching, use predictive job matching and offer reskilling pathways that anticipate future needs.
- Governance and reporting: Provide clear KPIs, benchmarking data, regular reporting and escalation paths so that programs are visible and effectively managed.
- Security and privacy: Protect sensitive data with strong controls, regional compliance and clear incident response.
- Technology and integration: Offer curated job leads, recruiter networks and learning resources, plus single-sign-on (SSO) options and HRIS/ATS integrations for smooth operations.
one partner, two paths
When roles change, your people still offer valuable skills, and redeployment is a powerful retention strategy. Redeployment preserves knowledge, capabilities and culture while lowering costs and enabling business continuity. The right partner should deliver redeployment with the same quality as outplacement, ensuring consistency and a supportive experience across both services.
Using the same provider for both redeployment and outplacement services lightens the workload on HR and resourcing teams during periods of heavy change. It also ensures smooth transitions between programs, builds trust with employees and strengthens relationships with HR. Shared delivery unlocks economies of scale, driving measurable cost efficiencies, greater consistency and a streamlined employee experience.
The right partner combines human empathy with scalable tools, reassuring employers that both redeployment and outplacement can be delivered with equal quality and effectiveness. Four capabilities matter most:
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A one-stop solution
A single provider should manage the entire process, whether an employee is redeployed or advances into outplacement. This integration reduces HR’s workload, ensures consistency of delivery and strengthens the employee experience across every transition.
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Human-led support
Transitions are emotional — whether employees are moving to new internal roles or exiting the business. Dedicated coaches guide them through the process, preparing for interviews, updating resumes, strengthening personal branding and highlighting transferable skills.
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Practical mobility tools and consulting
The best providers equip employees and HR teams with integrated digital platforms and hands-on support for job matching, resume optimization and interview preparation — tailored for both internal and external roles.
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Governance and insights
Dashboards track program activity, adoption and outcomes through anonymized reporting to measure success, calculate cost savings and demonstrate ROI.
questions to ask potential partners
The best way to evaluate a provider is to go beyond brochures and demos. Use scenario-based walk-throughs, such as a multi-country reduction, an executive exit or a plant closure, and require segment-level data so you see how results vary by geography and level. Ask potential providers the following questions:
- How do you measure success?
Look for metrics on time to re-employment, pay outcomes, participant satisfaction and alumni advocacy. - What is your coaching model?
Ask about coach-to-participant ratios, certifications and matching; smaller ratios usually enable deeper, more personalized and effective support. - How do you tailor services for different levels?
Ensure executives receive high-touch programs while staff get scalable solutions that still feel personal. - What technology do you provide?
Confirm curated job leads, recruiter networks and robust learning resources that create real momentum. Request a live demo of the platform, not just screenshots, to experience the technology in action. - Do you offer pilot programs?
To test usability, engagement and integration in real conditions, request a pilot program before purchase. A well-structured pilot provides valuable insight into performance, user experience and organizational fit before rolling out full implementation. - How do you integrate with our systems?
Ask about SSO plus HRIS or ATS integrations so enrollment, data flows and reporting are seamless. - How do you ensure global consistency?
Providers must deliver with an understanding of local compliance requirements and cultural sensitivity across all regions. - How will you represent our brand?
Ask how they act as brand ambassadors in sensitive conversations with employees and managers. - Do you have satisfaction data and industry experience?
Request Net Promoter Scores, dashboards, case studies and references; lack of transparency is a red flag. - How do you deliver services?
Confirm how support works virtually and in person and how the model adapts for remote or hybrid environments. - How do you protect data and privacy?
Validate access controls, retention practices and incident response aligned to regional requirements. - How quickly can you get started?
Confirm speed to engage after the award and what day-one onboarding looks like for HR and participants. - How do you support redeployment and internal mobility?
Look for internal job-matching tools, coaching for internal interviews and consulting to strengthen mobility processes. - What reporting and governance will we get?
Expect clear KPIs, regular dashboards and defined escalation so programs stay visible and well-managed — with regular business reviews that share performance metrics alongside relevant industry insights, benchmarks and process improvement suggestions. - What are your program terms?
Clarify term lengths by level and any alumni access provided, so that support aligns with different search timelines.
pitfalls to avoid
Not all providers are created equal. Avoid common traps that waste time, inflate risk and erode trust. Watch for gaps in reporting transparency, surge capacity, global execution and the human experience — the areas most likely to undermine outcomes and brand.
- Generic programs: One-size-fits-all approaches overlook the distinct needs of executives, managers and staff.
- Tech without touch: Digital platforms alone can leave people unsupported; coaching is essential for empathy and real progress.
- Limited geographic reach: Without a global infrastructure, delivery becomes inconsistent and compliance risk increases.
- Weak reporting and transparency: If a provider cannot share clear dashboards and segment-level results, it may be masking poor performance.
- Transactional mindset: Treating outplacement as a box to check misses the opportunity to protect culture and strengthen employer brand.
- Inconsistent human experience: High coach-to-participant ratios or poor matching can erode trust and increase stress during a difficult time — limiting the support needed to develop and implement an effective, timely job search strategy and negatively impacting the participant experience.
how to create an outplacement RFP
Creating an outplacement RFP is where strategy becomes structure. A well-crafted RFP translates your business goals into clear requirements, making it easier to compare providers on substance rather than just price. It ensures you select a partner who can deliver measurable outcomes, protect your brand and support employees through change.
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What to include in the RFP
Lay out the basics so vendors understand your business and can respond in context:
- Organization overview: Describe your business, who you serve, where you operate and workforce size.
- Project overview: Explain the problem to solve and the outcomes you expect.
- Possible roadblocks: Disclose challenges such as limited resources, legacy processes or legal requirements.
- Scope of work: List the services, deliverables and constraints, including existing tools or processes.
- SLAs and reporting: Outline service level agreements (SLAs), reporting cadence and escalation expectations.
- Timeline: Provide key dates for Q&A, submissions, demos, selection and implementation.
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What to request from providers
Ask vendors to demonstrate their ability to deliver and scale.
- Pricing format: Request a standard pricing table by level, scope, term and volume, with add-on items itemized.
- Transition-in plan: Ask vendors to outline their roles, milestones, training, communication and risk mitigation strategies.
- Innovation and differentiators: Request examples of innovation, proprietary tools or unique approaches.
- Evidence of impact: Require outcome data, dashboards and anonymized case studies.
- Scalability and flexibility: Ask providers to demonstrate the ability to flex across levels, volumes and geographies.
- Security, privacy and compliance: Request policies on data handling, retention, consent and incident response.
- Technology and integration: Confirm platform capabilities, SSO, HRIS or ATS integrations and accessibility.
- References and samples: Request customer references across various regions and levels, as well as sample deliverables.
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How to evaluate
Finally, define the lens you’ll use to judge responses and guide the process.
- Involve stakeholders early: Engage HR, finance, legal, procurement and business leaders so requirements reflect real needs.
- Tailor the process: Clarify evaluation steps, audiences and internal review cadence.
- Foster transparency: Share goals and constraints openly; even limited openness builds trust and stronger responses.
- Prioritize brand and culture alignment: Evaluate how coaches and support teams will reflect your values during sensitive moments.
5 questions: is your RFP aligned with business priorities?
- Have you quantified the costs of turnover, risk and reputational damage from mishandled exits?
- Does your business case connect outplacement outcomes to measurable ROI and long-term brand value?
- Have you defined clear objectives that will guide the RFP evaluation process?
- Are all key stakeholders engaged in shaping the business case and selection criteria?
- Does your RFP ask providers to demonstrate both measurable outcomes and brand stewardship?
3 key considerations: prepare your outplacement RFP
- Lock evaluation up front by publishing your criteria and pass/fail guardrails so vendors know exactly how they will be judged.
- Demand evidence, not assertions, by requiring dashboards, anonymized case studies and segment-level outcomes across geographies and levels.
- Design the process for speed and governance by setting clear templates, deadlines and expectations for implementation and reporting.