Good outplacement provider selection often comes down to asking better questions, not longer feature comparisons. Through our work with local council and government, we hear great questions from HR professionals every day. A structured approach to questions, alongside understanding the experience of the coaches and their values, helps provide most insight into whether the outplacement provider is fit for your organisation, for how you want to say goodbye to your people and the experience they’ll receive.
These are six questions we hear often and we believe matter:
1. How is the support designed for the different people impacted and their circumstances?
Why ask it
In councils, impacted employees often sit across very different seniority levels and cohorts, operational, professional, technical and leadership. Their needs may not be the same, and any support should reflect that.
What to listen for
Listen for evidence the provider can tailor support around:
- Different employee groups, career stages and seniority levels
- Individual needs, not just standard program tiers
- Opportunities for one-on-one coaching so that personalisation is unavoidable.
- Be cautious if the model sounds largely standardised, with limited real tailoring.
2. How will we know the support is landing well, not just being made available?
Why ask it
There is a difference between support being offered, support being utilised, and support being experienced as valuable. An outplacement experience that is viewed as substandard can perpetuate negative feelings towards organisations, since generally that is where the first introduction to the outplacement provider comes from.
Employee experience shapes more than individual outcomes, it can influence trust, reputation and how the organisation is perceived during difficult periods. Research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development consistently reinforces the link between people practices and employer reputation, including in moments that test organisational values.
What to listen for
Listen for whether the provider can explain:
- If and how engagement, utilisation data, participant sentiment and feedback is captured
- How re-employment or transition outcomes are measured and shared
- What reporting is provided and when
- An ability to explain how issues are identified and addressed.
Be cautious of broad claims without evidence or meaningful reporting.
3. Does the support address the human side of change, not just job search mechanics?
Why ask it
Career transition can involve uncertainty, loss of confidence and stress, not just practical job search activity.
That is increasingly relevant as organisations pay closer attention to psychosocial risk. Recent Australian developments, including increased focus from regulators such as Safe Work Australia, have reinforced that psychological health considerations are becoming harder for organisations to treat as peripheral to their change decisions.
Good support should recognise the whole person.
What to listen for
Listen for how the provider supports:
- Practical transition needs
- Confidence and momentum
- Wellbeing considerations
- Referral pathways or partner support, where appropriate.
Be cautious if the model is heavily transactional or low touch.
4. Does the outplacement provider understand the realities of working in local government?
Why ask it
Careers in local government often operate differently to the private sector. Structures, hiring processes, mobility pathways and expectations can vary across councils and the broader public sector.
If a provider doesn’t understand that context, support can become generic quickly, and less useful for the people experiencing it.
Good support should reflect where people are coming from, and where they are most likely to go next.
What to listen for
Listen for whether the provider can speak credibly about:
- How careers typically move within and between councils
- The broader public sector landscape and adjacent opportunities
- Differences in recruitment processes, timelines and expectations
- How to position experience gained in local government for future roles
- Practical pathways, not just general job search advice
Be cautious if the conversation defaults to private sector assumptions or generic job search strategies that don’t translate well to this context.
5. How does the support recognise and support wellbeing during transition?
Why ask it
Career transition can be practically demanding, but it can also be personally and emotionally exhausting. Periods of unplanned, or negative change and uncertainty can place strain on wellbeing, which is one reason the quality of support around the individual matters.
Guidance from the National Mental Health Commission notes that supporting wellbeing during change can contribute positively to how people experience and navigate disruption.
This does not mean an outplacement provider should be acting as a clinical expert. However, it does mean a holistic outplacement program would recognise the ‘whole person’ and in turn provide wellbeing support within the boundaries of an outplacement experience.
What to listen for
Listen for whether the provider can explain:
- How wellbeing is considered as part of the support experience
- How coaches support confidence, momentum and practical coping during transition
- Whether referral pathways or wellbeing partners exist
- How support is designed to feel human and responsive, not purely transactional
Be cautious if wellbeing is either ignored entirely or overstated in ways that suggest the provider is operating beyond its expertise.
6. Does this provider understand that transition support can influence trust, reputation and community confidence, not just outcomes for departing employees?
Why ask it
In local government, how change is handled can be interpreted beyond the workforce. It can shape trust internally, perceptions externally, and in some cases community confidence.
Research from Verian Group, (Public Sector Reputation Index Australia), points to trust, fairness and leadership as central drivers of confidence in public institutions. That is part of the context this decision sits within and part of the brand that organisations display to its people and the community.
What to listen for
Listen for whether the provider understands the following.
- The typical reactions and journey an employee experience during change
- Reputational sensitivity in public sector settings
- The impact or organisational restructure on those who remain
- The difference between a compliant process and a well-supported career transition program.
Be cautious if the discussion stays narrowly at features, price and program logistics.
In our experience, the quality of transition support can influence more than re-employment outcomes, it can shape employee experience, trust and how change is ultimately remembered. These are some of the questions we believe matter when evaluating support.
