Outplacement is no longer a luxury or an optional service. In today’s labour market, it is increasingly seen as a hallmark of responsible employer behaviour and a key differentiator in strengthening employer brand equity. (source: Wallpaper Flare)
Sandra Mažárová is Partner & Managing director at the Vantage.
As workforce transitions become a critical component of sustainable HR management, Slovak companies are gradually recognising the strategic importance of outplacement services - support programmes provided by an employer to help laid-off or redundant employees find new work. An extensive online B2B study conducted by the market research agency Vantage for Lifework between October 2024 and January 2025 explored the level of awareness, implementation and perceived value of outplacement programmes among Slovak employers. Fifty-four respondents from a wide range of industries across Slovakia, as shown in Graph 1, took part in the survey. More than two-thirds of the companies were members of a multinational group.
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While familiarity with outplacement is high, systematic use remains limited. Companies that implement these programmes highlight not only external reputational benefits but also important internal effects, such as preserving employee trust and stabilising organisational dynamics. This report outlines the survey findings, identifies key trends and proposes recommendations for advancing outplacement practices in Slovakia.
(source: Vantage)
SURVEY FINDINGS
1) The importance of HR management principles for companies on the Slovak labour market
The survey revealed a gap between important aims and their real-life execution – a disconnect between the HR management principles companies consider important and those they manage to successfully implement. In both categories – importance and implementation – companies ranked the principle of equal opportunities for all as the highest priority, as illustrated in Graph 3.
