An outplacement service is a type of human resources consultant firm that will help laid off employees find new jobs. Your first reaction may be that finding your fired employees is not your responsibility. And while that is true, there are benefits to using an outplacement service that you may not have thought of. Here are five:

1. It’s Good For Your Conscious

If your finances are forcing you to downsize, you might have to let go of employees you don’t really want to let go of. Using an outplacement company to help those employees find new work will reassure you that they can find opportunities elsewhere.

2. You Won’t Burn As Many Bridges

If you let one of your employees go, but at the same time promise to help him or her find other work, you are more likely to be able to maintain a professional connection with that person. Connections are always good in the business world, in case you need help from someone you used to work with later on in your business career.

3. You Can Be More Critical Of New Hires

Bad hiring decisions happen sometimes. Two common reasons for bad hires are poor skills match or unclear performance objectives. If it becomes immediately clear that a new employee is not going to work out, you might have less qualms about letting them go if you can offer outplacement services.

4. Your Employees Might Be Better Off

In many cases, your employees might be better suited for a job at another company, but they haven’t yet taken the initiative to go and find another position themselves. According to a survey by Jobvite, about 53% of all employed workers would be open to new job opportunities, even if they aren’t actively looking for them. Termination can turn into a mutual agreement between employee and employer, if both agree that there are better options for both parties, and especially if the employer is willing to help find that better option for the former employee.

5. You Can Build A Good Reputation

Using outplacement services could lead to your former employees thinking more highly of you, which could help your recruitment strategies in the future. If you build up a reputation as an employer who will take care of his or her employees in ways such as using an outplacement consulting firm, you have a better chance of attraction new talent when you start hiring again.

These five benefits of outplacement companies are worth considering. You might end up breaking even or perhaps saving money, if you are able to take advantage of all that an outplacement service has to offer you.