Russian companies prefer to pay soon-to-be redundant staff money, rather than provide any assistance to help them find another job, according to a survey from recruitment firm Kelly Services Russia, reports vedomosti.ru. 

Approximately half of the Russian companies in the survey are currently going through a redundancy process but only 14% have referred their former employees to outplacement services, which can support them in finding a new job.

Yuri Efrosinin, Executive Director of Kelly OCG Russia, commented: “Anyone, whether it’s a call centre operator or the head of a large department, at the point of dismissal will experience emotions running from shock to depression. It is believed that, in terms of stress, losing your job is second only to losing a loved one.”

“Outplacement programmes can help candidates through the process is the most painless way. And for us, it is also a powerful tool for minimising the risk of labour disputes and additional costs,” he added.

Outplacement services started operating in Russia more than 15 years ago. According to research from Kelly Services, 86% of HR Directors surveyed expressed an understanding of the importance of using outplacement services as best HR practice.

However, according to Mr Efrosinin: “Often, workers themselves don’t understand the value in outplacement services. People think that cash payments will solve their problems, although it’s obvious that after their dismissal it’s best to find a new job as quickly as possible.”