New Placement Best Practices: New Career Opportunities for Employees
Companies are changing. Departments are being closed, tasks are being outsourced, processes are being digitized, or work arrangements are changing due to health-related limitations. For the employees affected, this often means more than just an organizational change: it’s about security, self-confidence, and the question of how their careers can move forward.
Using two case studies, gain concrete insight into the situations in which outplacement and new placement consulting with Softdoor and the pme Familienservice can be effectively utilized to help affected employees find new career opportunities that are supported by all parties involved.
New Hires and Best Practices
- What does "new placement" mean in change processes?
- Find new placement solutions that all parties can support?
- Best Practice 1: Department Closure Affects Employee with a Severe Disability
- Best Practice 2: When Years of Experience Meets New Challenges
- Who is a Newplacement consultation suitable for?
What does "new placement" mean in change processes?
Newplacement is a professional support service for employees whose current professional situation is changing; it is designed to help them identify possible alternative career paths and facilitate a smooth and rapid reentry into the workforce.
For example, this could mean:
- an internal transfer to another team or a sister company,
- modifying the existing workstation,
- a tailored continuing education program,
- a new assignment based on existing experience,
- returning to work after health-related limitations,
- an external agency,
- or—if it suits the individual and the situation—the move toward self-employment.
The focus is on three questions
- Where else could the employee be assigned?
- What potential and transferable skills does this person bring to the table?
- What solution is viable for everyone involved?
To that end, we look in all directions:
- to adapt the current workstation,
- an internal position,
- a certification
- or—if necessary—a new perspective outside the company.
Find new placement solutions that all parties can support
We don’t leave people to navigate change processes on their own—neither the individuals affected nor the HR professionals and managers within the company. Together with Softdoor GmbH, we provide professional support to you and your employees throughout outplacement and new placement processes.
These best practices illustrate how we support companies and their employees through challenging change processes:
- Reintegration Following Health-Related Limitations
- until the realignment
- or department closures.
The focus is always on the “Wegfinder” approach: Working together with the individuals involved, we identify their aptitudes, aptitudes, and interests; develop suitable career paths; and, where possible, take advantage of funding opportunities provided by the relevant funding agencies.
pme Familienservice and Softdoor are combining their expertise to provide comprehensive support to companies and employees throughout outplacement and new placement processes. Learn more about the benefits of this partnership for you as an employer and how we can support you.
New Placement Best Practice 1: Department Closure Affects Long-Time Employee with a Severe Disability
Initial Situation:
A company is closing a small department with 15 employees because the work performed there is being outsourced. Among those affected is an employee who has been working in her position for about ten years and has a recognized severe disability . Since employees with severe disabilities enjoy special protection against termination, a sensitive yet solution-oriented approach is required.
Softdoor and pme's approach in this case:
- Joint discussions with HR, pme, and Softdoor to assess needs, as well as with the client in question and a Softdoor counselor, to clarify the situation and build trust.
- With the consent of the individuals concerned, Softdoor conducts the Wegfinder analysis: a client-centered assessment of inclinations, aptitude, interests, and personal stability.
- Check with the Human Resources department to see if there are any suitable open positions within the company or at affiliated companies (the “home port” principle: internal solutions take precedence over external ones).
- If a training program is required in the next step (e.g., an accounting course), Softdoor identifies the appropriate educational provider in the region—online or in person—and assesses the participant’s suitability.
- Softdoor prepares the application for the Federal Employment Agency . The agency generally not only covers the course costs but may also continue to pay wages during the program, if applicable.
Results of the new placement support:
- After about four months, the employee successfully completes the training program, including the exam, and begins her regular on-the-job training at her new position.
- The employer bears no financial burden throughout the entire program, as the Federal Employment Agency covers both the training costs and, if applicable, continued wage payments.
Synergy of Skills:
- pme Familienservice facilitates the human aspect of the change process and sensitively guides both the corporate client and the affected employee (client) through this time of transition.
- Softdoor brings expertise in funding programs, funding agencies (the German Social Accident Insurance Association, the German Pension Insurance, and the Federal Employment Agency), and appropriate training pathways—including determining which agency is responsible in each individual case.
New Placement Best Practice 2: Changing Work Conditions Affect a Long-Time Employee with Valuable Experience and Expertise
Initial Situation:
An employee has been working in a specific area of production for many years. Thanks to her long tenure, she has acquired a very high level of expertise regarding the processes and requirements in that area. However, due to changes in her physical condition or organizational circumstances, she is no longer able to perform her current job without difficulty. At this time, the company does not see a suitable role for her—even though her specific experience and knowledge could be valuable for other tasks.
Approach taken by Softdoor and pme:
- Softdoor identifies existing expertise as a transferable core competency, regardless of the original job description.
- This knowledge is supplemented by hands-on AI training: The focus is not on programming skills, but rather on the targeted use of AI agents to implement consulting projects based on existing subject matter expertise.
- Softdoor assesses the eligibility of this combined qualification and helps identify suitable career paths—such as a position in an internal department, a consulting firm, or self-employment.
Results of the new placement support:
Expertise developed over many years is giving rise to a new, forward-looking role: for example, as an in-house consultant on process-related issues or as an independent consultant who combines traditional expertise with modern AI tools.
Synergy of Skills:
- Softdoor identifies transferable skills that aren't apparent in traditional job descriptions and combines them with tailored professional development.
- pme helps companies recognize and actively leverage this often-underestimated potential of their experienced employees.
Who is a Newplacement consultation suitable for?
Newplacement solutions are useful when companies want to retain, reassign, or provide additional training to employees during organizational changes, such as in the case of
- Restructuring,
- changed performance profiles,
- difficult BEM cases,
- Mergers,
- or age-related transitions.
Instead of a one-size-fits-all solution, we develop customized measures that open up career opportunities and are sustainable for both employers and employees.
For more information on our partnership-based approach and our complete portfolio of services, please see the article“Outplacement: Partnership with Softdoor GmbH.”
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We would be happy to advise you personally and work with you to develop a solution that suits your situation. Contact us for a no-obligation initial consultation.
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