Career Partners International
There are two explanations. The link between a business and its employee is stronger and the employer is therefore more concerned about the employees they lose.... On the other hand, many countries are also refining their employment legislation.
Chapel Hill, NC (PRWEB) June 19, 2014
Career Partners International, one of the largest global providers of career transition, outplacement services and talent management solutions, held its EMEA (Europe, the Middle-East and Africa) Regional conference on the global growth of outplacement June 12th and 13th. The experts see two worldwide trends – in Anglo-Saxon countries, higher level positions tend to receive individual guidance whereas in Europe the emphasis lies in collective or group outplacement for labourers and service operatives.
Ucare / Career Partners International – Belgium hosted the EMEA Region conference in Brussels. David P. Hemmer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Career Partners International which is headquartered in the United States, and career experts from 18 European countries attended the event.
Outplacement market growing worldwide to 2.7 billion euro
The worldwide market for career transition and talent management accounts for 2.95 billion euro (4 billion US dollars), half of which (1.5 billion euro or 2 billion US dollars) is outplacement. Mr. Hemmer shared that the American market alone accounts for half of worldwide outplacement turnover (.74 billion euro or 1 billion US dollars); the other half is realised in the rest of the world. In EMEA, outplacement is rapidly developing. Europe is a growth engine; however, in the Middle-East and Africa outplacement is still considered to be in its infancy.”
Outplacement is on the increase around the world. Hemmer shared, “There are two explanations. The link between a business and its employee is stronger and the employer is therefore more concerned about the employees they lose and the business’ ‘employment brand’ which is its ability to attract future employees. On the other hand, many countries are also refining their employment legislation, including obligations regarding outplacement for the employer.”
The US vs. the rest of the world: two big differences
Worldwide, continents and countries have their own views on outplacement, according to Koen Janssen, Managing Director of Ucare Career Solutions, the exclusive Belgian office of Career Partners International. Janssen commented, “In the US, the role of technology (e.g. search engines, databases) and social media is increasing in terms of finding a job. Certain Americans seem to believe that technology can replace the role of personal guidance. In Europe, however, outplacement tends to be face-to-face and based on personal contact.”
Louis Kemps, Managing Director of Ucare / Career Partners International - Belgium, sees another important cultural difference between the US and EMEA. “In Europe, it tends to be about the collective guidance of labourers or service operatives after a closure or restructuring,” commented Kemps. “These fees are relatively low. In Anglo-Saxon countries, the higher profile positions such as officers of the company often include individual outplacement often with higher fees) in their employment contracts. This is also logical since the social security system is less well developed there.”
Belgium, the birthplace of modern outplacement
The international gathering also considered the leading role of Belgium, the only country in the world where outplacement is a legal obligation. Paul Verschueren, Director of Research & Economic Affairs at Federgon, regards Belgium as the birthplace of modern outplacement. He shared that in Belgium, outplacement was limited to directors and management for many years and the natural ceiling lied at around 1,000 individual outplacements, at best 3,000, per year
In 2006, there was a complete turnaround in Belgium, with a legal outplacement obligation with regard to those over the age of 45, followed by mandatory outplacement in the event of restructuring. These two legislative initiatives provided a boost to the sector, which took a step toward the Business-to-Consumer (B2C) market. Belgian HR companies, usually general HR providers, adapted to this by profiling themselves as personal supervisors for job-seekers.
Personal guidance: the philosophy for Career Partners International
Personal guidance is the basic principle which runs through all of the activities of Career Partners International. Since its inception in 1987, Career Partners International has expanded to become one of the world’s largest providers of career transition and outplacement services. The 1,600 experts in more than 200 locations spread across 48 countries, help customers across the world with the development of talent, outplacement and career guidance. Career Partners International incorporates leading-edge technology in its delivery of outplacement services yet never loses sight of the fact that the personal guidance provided by certified career consultants is the most valuable and impactful aspect of outplacement.
Ucare, along with every equity partner of Career Partners International, embraces this philosophy of personal guidance and support. The collective philosophy is that, within outplacement, we opt for personal guidance over a technological surrogate method. Research has shown that one-to-one guidance is much more desirable and effective. As an example of its efficacy, participants of Career Partners International outplacement services find work within an average of 3.2 months, 2.5 times faster than the national average in the US.
About Career Partners International
Career Partners International enhances organizational performance and people’s lives every day! As a global leader in talent management consulting since 1987, organizations of all sizes and industries trust Career Partners International for the very best outcomes to their most challenging and important talent strategies and initiatives. With the most experienced and respected consultants in more than 45 countries, Career Partners International provides clients with one-on-one access to local experts in talent development, career management, executive coaching, outplacement and career transition services to successfully assess, engage, develop and transition talent to drive organizational performance. Additional information may be found at http://www.cpiworld.com.
About Ucare
Headquartered in Hasselt, Belgium, Ucare Career Solutions provides both expertise and custom-made tools to assist organizations of all sizes with search and selection, assessment and development centers, skill training, job coaching, career guidance, outplacement, and other talent management solutions. With additional offices in Antwerp, Brussels and Leuven, Ucare provides high-quality services to companies across Belgium in a professional and results-driven way. As a partner in Career Partners International, Ucare has a network of more than 200 offices in over 45 countries around the world, ensuring its clients have access to local experts with global reach.
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More information:
Local Contact: Koen Janssen, Managing Director, Ucare Career Solutions, koen.janssen(at)ucare.be , +32 485 537 387
Corporate Contact: Kim Mills, Career Partners International, Ph +1.919.419.8296 kim.mills(at)cpiworld.com