CareerArc develops a “virtual job transition platform” for companies of all sizes that they say helps “users land jobs nearly 3x faster than the national average time it takes to find employment, transitioning back into the workforce on average in 10 weeks compared to the national 28-week average unemployment time as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016.” While reductions in force (RIF) used to be events that only took place as a part of downsizing, today’s reality is that even while growing, companies are laying off employees as their business strategies and priorities shift. Traditional, old-school outplacement services were provided largely face-to-face by consultants and counselors that would help employees through this time of transition. These services were expensive and time consuming. It wasn’t uncommon for them to require an employee’s presence on-site at an “outplacement center” to get access to counselors or information. The services were also expensive, resulting in outplacement services being provided to select groups of employees, or at different service levels for different employee categories (executives, non-execs, etc.). For a larger RIF with traditional outplacement , it isn’t unusual for some employees to left out of receiving these services. This approach is outmoded given the current way and pace that we work.
CareerArc has brought together two applications – one that brings jobs to candidates – and one that provides outplacement services (live coaching, self-assessments, resume development, etc.) All in the cloud – together in one service with the aim of taking someone from “despair to hope” while they’re going through a layoff, or while jobless. They’re finding innovative partnerships, integrations, and models to bring the app to the consumer/employee. Offering the service as a voluntary benefit to an employee’s entire family, for example. It’s this approach that put them on the 2017 HRWins Top HR Companies To Watch List.
How companies treat employees caught up in a RIF can have an impact on brand, on ratings sites, and on the morale and engagement of those employees not impacted. The experience you provide for employees in transition says a lot about how you value all of your employees. CareerArc has moved a process traditionally delivered face to face in career centers and via the phone onto mobile devices. While providing coaching and content, they’ve made a big investment in helping transitioning employees find open positions and connect with employers, leveraging their additional expertise in social recruiting. Companies committed to a modern employee experience strategy can extend that commitment through transition with tools like CareerArc.
