‘Outplacement Outtakes’ v.26 – How Developing Strong Rapport with Sophie was Essential to her Outplacement Program Success

Personalizing outplacement programs is the only way to make them matter.  Why spend valuable budget on cookie-cutter programs that don’t truly help someone through a life-changing moment? Learning that one has lost their job is bound to prompt a series of emotions from shock to fear, despair to shame and anger. Not to mention all the trickle-down effects that they have on self-esteem, family dynamics and personal finances.

Take Sophie for example.  When Sophie joined the CMS outplacement program, she had just celebrated her 16^th year with the organization where she had led the national sales team.  She was a friendly and optimistic person who used much humour in her communication style.  She seemed ready to take on her next challenge and we got right to work on her résumé.

Her résumé spoke to her track record in consistently growing revenues for her employer, citing specific accomplishments and growth percentages throughout the document.  It was impressive.  However, before we could finalize the résumé document with Sophie, she seemed to retreat.

Only when her CMS program coach proactively reached out to her to gently ask why there had been a change in her demeaner, did she confess to her feelings of self-doubt, insecurity, and fear which stemmed from the replaying in her mind of why she was terminated from her job after such a stellar career.  She couldn’t understand it as the reasons they quoted in their decision to part ways with her just didn’t match up with the results she was producing.

These of course are common thoughts for new job seekers.  Being asked to leave a job leaves one with a feeling of failure, and lack of control over their lives – especially at the higher levels.  Some are able to overcome them quicker than others who generally need time to talk it through objectively with a third-party. Managing these kind of thoughts and feelings are prime examples of why the personalized program coaching at CMS is pillar #1 of the full-service outplacement program, and is imperative to our candidates success.

Ensuring the lines of communication are fully open to any discussion a job search candidate may need objective help with and developing a strong rapport with one’s program coach ultimately helps in the delivery of the practical components of the CMS career transition program.

Each full-service program at CMS is managed by a dedicated, proactive, and qualified program coach who works one-on-one with our job search candidates to help them understand and effectively process all the emotions that come with career transition.  Access to CMS program coaches is unlimited for the duration of their program which can be stopped and restarted according to individual circumstances ensuring zero program time lost.  This means that all CMS job seekers never have to worry if they have ‘run out of time’ with their coach and can connect with them as they are needed.

In addition, through initial discussions with their coach, the practical career transition tools and strategies inherent to the CMS outplacement program are customized, incorporating one’s current life circumstances, existing skills-sets, future goals and market conditions.  These discussions may result in molding their CMS program around retirement, entrepreneurship, re-training or vertical job change goals.

The development of rapport between our candidates and our coaches is essential to creating excitement, optimism and positive momentum through the career transition process and why personalized program coaching is pillar #1 of our full-service outplacement programs.