Letting someone go is one of the hardest tasks a management team faces. It affects a person's livelihood, it unsettles the colleagues who stay and it is talked about well beyond the company. How an organisation behaves in that moment is what people remember about its culture. Outplacement is the way to handle a necessary separation fairly and professionally.
What outplacement is
Outplacement is professional support for employees who have to leave the company, after a termination or during a restructuring. An external partner works with the person on the next career step. The programme covers an honest look at where the person stands, an up-to-date competency profile, a full rework of the CV and covering letter, and interview coaching.
Newplacement is another name for the same service, with the same emphasis: the route into a new role.
Who pays, and what the money buys
The company cutting the role normally carries the cost. That money is an investment, and it buys three things.
- Employer reputation: an employer that handles departures fairly stays attractive to future applicants and keeps its standing in the industry.
- The team that stays: employees watch closely how departing colleagues are treated. Visible, well-organised support keeps the team steady and builds trust.
- Lower risk: a clear process with proper support lowers the chance of conflict and of drawn-out disputes.
Handling a separation fairly shows how a company treats people, and it protects its standing in the market.
How fair support runs
Good support follows a calm, clear sequence. It starts with an assessment: where the person stands, what they are good at and which direction suits them. That produces a competency profile which names the person's skills in plain words, so the CV still reads clearly when screening software processes it. We then rework the application materials, sharpen the CV and the LinkedIn profile and run interview practice with the person. The same named contact stays with them from the first meeting to the last.
If the person would like us to, we handle the administrative steps with them: registration with the RAV, the regional employment centre that supports jobseekers in each canton, and the claim with the Arbeitslosenkasse, the fund that pays benefits under Switzerland's unemployment insurance scheme, ALV. Applications are always written and sent by the person themselves.
When AI reshapes roles
Many companies are redesigning roles right now because artificial intelligence is changing what the work involves day to day. A few years ago that reason for a separation barely existed, and it is a case where the quality of the support becomes visible very quickly.
At clever hr the coaching comes from people who work on recruitment mandates every week, in the client's name and on their behalf. The person learns how recruiters read an application, what employers look for in interviews and how to be visible in the market, and applies with a clearer aim and more confidence. The gap between leaving and starting again gets shorter. That first-hand view of the market comes from the recruitment support we deliver every day in your name and on your behalf.
What it costs
Our published fixed prices apply to outplacement as well. Support for one person costs CHF 3'500 at clever hr and covers 20 hours spread over three months, preparation and follow-up included. When several roles go at once, a team package starts at CHF 25'000 for up to ten people. Both outplacement prices are listed on the pricing page.
Conclusion
A separation is rarely avoidable, and the way it is handled is always a choice. Outplacement gives the person a real way forward, protects your reputation as an employer and holds the remaining team together. With support from people who know the Swiss labour market from the employer's side, the transition is often shorter than everyone expects. If your group runs a Swiss entity from abroad, our guide to hiring in Switzerland covers the wider picture. The linked posts explain why we work without placement commissions and how AI speeds up HR processes.
If a separation is coming up, or a larger restructuring is ahead, let us spend 30 minutes on what a fair route looks like. No obligation. Book an intro call.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays for outplacement?
Usually the company that is cutting the role. It carries the cost so that the departing employee gets professional support into the next job.
What does clever hr bring to outplacement?
Our coaches work on recruitment mandates for client companies every week, in the client's name and on their behalf, so the person sees the Swiss labour market from the employer's side. On request we handle the administrative steps with them, with the RAV, the regional employment centre for jobseekers, and with the Arbeitslosenkasse, the unemployment insurance fund. Applications are always written and sent by the person themselves.
What does outplacement cost at clever hr?
Support for one person costs CHF 3'500 and covers 20 hours spread over three months, preparation and follow-up included. When several roles go at once, a team package starts at CHF 25'000 for up to ten people.
Does Swiss law require outplacement?
Swiss law leaves outplacement voluntary. Article 335i of the Swiss Code of Obligations (Obligationenrecht, OR) requires an employer to negotiate a social plan, an agreement with the workforce on measures that cushion the effects of redundancies, once it usually employs at least 250 people and intends to dismiss at least 30 of them within 30 days for operational reasons. Below those thresholds the employer chooses its own measures, and outplacement is one of them.
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