Outplacement: A Strategic Trend in Human Resource Management

• #Outplacement
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In 2025, more and more Russian companies are beginning to view outplacement as a management practice rather than just a “gesture of goodwill.” According to ANCOR Consulting, demand for this service grew by 27% in the first half of the year — with the strongest growth seen in the industrial, retail, and banking sectors.

Why It Matters for Business

• Reducing legal and reputational risks.

Supporting employees affected by downsizing helps prevent lawsuits and complaints, minimizing both financial and HR-related losses for the company.

• Maintaining the employer brand during change.

Demonstrating care for employees strengthens the company’s reputation as a socially responsible employer — a key competitive advantage in today’s market.

• Preserving employee trust.

Transparent and ethical outplacement processes reduce stress across teams, helping maintain productivity and trust among remaining employees.

• Integrating outplacement metrics into HR analytics.

Tracking outplacement metrics allows companies to holistically assess the impact of organizational changes — from the career progress of former employees to the engagement of the current team.

How Companies Implement Outplacement

• Internal resources.
  Organizing webinars and job search workshops, assisting with resume writing, providing templates and recommendations, and distributing job search surveys.
• Collaboration with HR service providers.
  Implementing specialized programs that include career consulting, professional coaching, and job market support.
• Training HR professionals.
  Building internal expertise in ethical offboarding enables companies to manage transformation processes more flexibly and develop long-term approaches to organizational change.

Advantages of Partnering with External Providers

• Access to professional methodology, analytics, and tracking systems.

• Increased participant trust through support from an independent expert.

• Reduced workload for internal HR teams and the ability to delegate complex issues to external specialists.

Key Outplacement Metrics

• Time to re-employment.

• Level of the new position attained.

• Career progression.

• Participant satisfaction.

• Impact on employer brand.

• Engagement and morale of remaining employees.

While outplacement in Russia is still an emerging practice, the steady rise in demand shows that employers are actively seeking ways to make workforce reduction processes more structured and humane.

Companies that implement outplacement programs — especially in partnership with professional providers — not only reduce reputational and legal risks but also strengthen their position as socially responsible employers, which is crucial for sustainable business development.

Konstantin Viteev, Head of Outplacement and Career Consulting, ANCOR