Redundancy and outplacement - the balance between scaring and educating leavers

Why numbers beat scare tactics in outplacement and career transition

We have been working with a cohort of senior job seekers who have recently been made redundant. Like many others, they assume they have a few months' grace before needing to think seriously about their next role. And for some, that will work out, but the reality is - the job market isn’t what it used to be, and it could take a senior person 6 - 12 months to find the right role.

Most are caught off guard by how hard it is to secure the perfect role right now. As one might expect, they apply the same principles to their job hunting as perhaps they did many years ago, or even post COVID, when finding a job was a cinch.

Now, roles that once attracted 30 applicants attract 300+. It’s not uncommon for employers to receive 500 CVs for a single vacancy, with only 5 people being interviewed.

That means a candidate needs to be in the top 1% just to get an interview and in the top 0.2% to get the job.

Our job isn’t to scare people. It’s to prepare them.

The last thing we want is for someone to panic. or worse, to develop bitterness towards the employer who made them redundant. But we also can’t sugar-coat the market.

Instead, we help people understand what they need to do and the rigour they need to apply to get traction, using a logical, data-led approach that helps them connect the dots between their value as a candidate and the way they present themselves.

The Employment Contract Cost Calculator

Here’s the simple equation we walk them through:

1. Target salary: £100,000 (adjust as necessary)

2. Multiply by 3 (expected tenure in years): £300,000

3. Multiply by 1.7 (employer cost multiplier): This includes:

• Employer National Insurance Contributions
• Pension contributions
• Bonuses
• Private healthcare
• Life insurance / death in service
• Income protection
• Enhanced parental leave
• Company car or car allowance
• Share schemes or equity
• Training and development
• Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP)
• Season ticket loans
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Recruitment fees
• Onboarding costs
• IT equipment and software
• Desk space and office costs
• HR and payroll admin
• Sick pay
• Holiday pay etc

Total employer investment: £300,000 × 1.7 = £510,000

4. Multiply by 3 (ROI expectation): Employers typically look for a 3x return on the total cost.

So: £510,000 × 3 = £1.53 million

Then we ask the killer question:

Is your CV and LinkedIn profile demonstrating how you can deliver £1.5 million of value?

Most CVs don’t even come close. They list duties and responsibilities, not outcomes or performance.

We teach them how to focus on ability and performance rather than just skills and experience. We help them understand what recruiters and hiring managers are looking for in 2025.

Why this matters for employers

Redundancies are sometimes unavoidable, but the aftermath matters.

How quickly someone secures their next role can impact:

• The reputation of the employer
• Employer brand
• The morale of those still in the business

That’s why outplacement isn’t just a tick-box exercise. It’s about giving people a real fighting chance, not just vague guidance and a CV template.

We help people understand the challenge without scaring them. We challenge without patronising. And we do it in a way that reflects positively on the employer.