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How a retail chain reskilled 120 laid-off employees and placed 78% in six months.
When head office roles moved offshore, the company chose to reskill its people instead of offering a standard outplacement package. Skillfi ran skills assessments, role mapping, a 10-week reskilling program and job search coaching across the US, Canada, the UK and India. It's how our Career Accelerator works for employers: people leave with skills, confidence and new jobs.
A hard decision, and a commitment to do right by people.
The retailer was moving finance, merchandising support, HR administration, IT support and customer service work into an offshore shared services centre. 120 people across its US, Canadian, UK and Indian offices would lose their roles.
Many had been with the company for over a decade, and their skills matched jobs that were shrinking across the industry. Leadership knew a generic outplacement package of a resume template and a job board login wouldn't help them. They also knew the remaining staff, customers and future hires would be watching how the layoff was handled.
We couldn't keep these roles, but we could make sure our people left more employable than when they joined us.
Chief People Officer, client
Reskill for the jobs that exist today, in every local market.
Instead of generic outplacement, the company invested in a reskilling program built around each person's skills and the jobs available where they live. Communication and the wider restructure were planned with a fractional CHRO.
A skills profile for every person
One-to-one career sessions and skills assessments for all 120 people, capturing strengths, interests, salary needs and how far they were willing to stretch.
Six career tracks, matched to local demand
Skills mapped against live job demand in each country, creating six tracks: data and reporting, ecommerce operations, people operations, cloud and IT support, customer success and project coordination.
10 weeks of focused learning
Live and self-paced learning in small cohorts across time zones, with AI tools taught on every track and job search coaching from week six.
6 months, step by step
From the announcement to most people in new roles, across four countries. Here's how the program unfolded.
- Week 14 offices briefed
Announcement support
Manager briefings, employee FAQs and program information ready on the day the news was shared, in every office.
- Week 1–3120 plans
Skills assessments
One-to-one sessions and assessments for every employee, with a personal career plan agreed for each.
- Week 2–46 tracks
Role mapping
Local job demand analysed in each country and every person matched to one of six career tracks.
- Week 4–1414 cohorts
10-week reskilling
Small cohorts by track and time zone, with mentors, practical projects and AI tools built into every track.
- Week 10–2040+ employers
Job search coaching
Resumes and CVs written for each country's norms, LinkedIn rebuilt, mock interviews and introductions to hiring employers.
- Month 678% placed
Placement review
Results reported to leadership by country and track, with continued support for those still searching.
One program, four job markets
The same structure in every country, adapted to local jobs, pay levels and hiring norms.
Know each person
- One-to-one career sessions
- Skills assessments
- Personal career plan
Jobs that exist today
- Demand by country & city
- Six career tracks
- Pay benchmarks per market
Skills employers want
- Cohorts by track & time zone
- Practical projects
- AI tools on every track
Into new roles
- Country-specific resumes
- Mock interviews
- Employer introductions
Six months after the announcement
People in new roles within six months
Support continued for everyone still searching after six months.
A layoff is never good news, but this was the most humane way we could handle it. Most of our people are already in new roles, and the ones who stayed saw how we treated those who left.
Chief People Officer, clientFacing a restructure and want to do right by your people?
Our Career Accelerator will assess every affected employee, map them to jobs in their local market and reskill them for roles that exist today, in any country you operate. Need help planning the wider change? Add a fractional CHRO.
- Skills assessments for every employee
- Role mapping to local job markets
- A reskilling program by career track
- Job search coaching & placement
30 minutes. No obligation.
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