The role of the HR manager in the success of a collective outplacement plan
When a company undertakes restructuring, a job protection plan (PSE), or a voluntary departure plan (PDV), it faces major human challenges.
In this context, collective outplacement is an essential tool for supporting employees toward their professional future.
But the success of this system depends largely on a central player: the HR manager .
Their role is decisive in making this delicate phase a lever for responsible and controlled transformation .
Collective outplacement: what are we talking about ?
Collective outplacement is structured support offered to a group of employees affected by a departure. It generally includes:
Group workshops: assessment, CV, pitch, LinkedIn, etc.
Individual coaching
Access to a platform of tools and resources
Coordinated monitoring with the company’s HR teams
The objective: to secure career paths , preserve the employer image and enable rapid and effective repositioning of employees.
The key role of the HR manager
The HR manager is both:
Operational pilot of the system
Interface between the company, social partners and outplacement providers
Support for departing employees
Guarantee of the smooth running of the process, humanly and strategically
Its concrete missions
1. Inform and support employees in advance
The HR manager must:
Communicate clearly on the objectives of the system
Present the support arrangements
Create a climate of trust and transparency
Objective: to reassure and give meaning to the proposed outplacement.
2. Coordinate the outplacement partner
In direct contact with the outplacement firm, HR:
Participates in the framing of the mission
Ensures individual and collective monitoring
Adjusts needs if necessary (training, workshops, specific support, etc.)
💬 Good HR/service provider collaboration is a guarantee of efficiency and commitment from beneficiaries .
3. Track key indicators
The HR manager assesses:
Participation rates
Returns to employment
The level of satisfaction of beneficiaries
This data is essential for promoting the action taken, both internally and externally (CSR, communication, social report, etc.).
4. Be a human relay
Beyond management, the HR manager remains a reference point for employees:
He listens, supports, guides
He ensures consistency between speech, intentions and reality
In a departure context, this human posture is often what employees remember the most.
Why this role is strategic for the company
- It preserves the social climate during the transition phase
- It limits the risks of tensions or recourse
- It promotes employer image and social responsibility
- It transforms a constraint into an opportunity for ethical support