Two Paragraph Perspectives: Outplacement and Career Transition is About Values

Blog post by Barton Career Advisors Founder and Managing Partner Chris Barton

We feel strongly that our outplacement and career transition work should be governed by a set of values, and it is. Back in 2008, we brought Barton Career Advisors to the marketplace to change the way business leaders and companies thought about the needs of departing employees. We did research, met with business thought leaders, and even offered pro bono outplacement services to gain valuable experience in developing our business model. Sure, we want to be effective; but more importantly we want to be of value to our clients and to do that we have to live by a set of values. During the genesis of our business, one leader said to me, “Chris, outplacement should be more than just reports and placement statistics. Your business should concern itself with how it makes people feel when they are in career transition.” I have never forgotten that feedback. We developed our concept of values from those early conversations.

In 2013, we became aligned with the Outside-In® Companies and we continue to live those early experiences through a set of twenty core values. How do we live those? In a sensitive situation like a reduction-in-force, or targeted elimination of a position, we give our clients piece of mind that we are going to significantly engage with each individual employee affected. That Nth Degree of service is made possible by a business model that does not force professionals through a prescribed program with little possibility for customization. Further, we leverage our entrepreneurial spirit and risk taking behaviors to come up with new pathways for our clients to address challenging career questions and needs. Lastly, we make our entire team available to gain traction and momentum toward the results that are so evidently needed in outplacement – the next career opportunity. Having values certainly does not mean we are perfect. However, it does mean that we have standards and the bar has been set high.

Barton Career Advisors has recently dedicated its industry pieces and blogging to a new series called Two Paragraph Perspectives. There is so much going on in our world and it is often difficult to consume an entire article, thought leadership piece, whitepaper, or news story. Our world communicates at lightning speed and most of that happens in 140 characters or less. For the previously mentioned reasons we will bring you key thoughts, insights, and questions in an easy to consume two paragraph format. Before the steam is finished rising off your morning coffee or tea you will be done reading our bi-weekly digest of all things career transition, personal brand management and outplacement best practices. We hope you are looking forward to this series written by our Founder and Managing Partner, Chris Barton.

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