Work. Made Better. Series
By Alan Kearns, Founder, CareerJoy
In Canada’s evolving world of work, the right outplacement partner isn’t just a box to check. It’s a reflection of how your organization treats people in moments of transition. For years, many HR leaders have defaulted to large firms like Optimum Talent, now operating under Gallagher, based on name recognition or bundled service agreements.
But as economic uncertainty grows and the expectations of employees rise, the questions are changing:
At CareerJoy, outplacement should be about more than resume tweaks and webinars. It should be about leading people forward — with dignity, clarity, and confidence.
Optimum Talent, now fully integrated under Gallagher, has been a fixture in the Canadian talent space for decades. With services across executive search, leadership assessment, and coaching, they’re a known entity, particularly in Quebec and Ontario.
Their outplacement services, however, are often bundled within a broader HR offering. While this can be efficient for procurement, it can also dilute the depth and personalization that transitioning employees need most.
Their model leans on:
What’s missing? In many cases, a dedicated, human-first approach to career transition is grounded in Canadian realities.
CareerJoy is 100% Canadian-owned, with a national bilingual team focused solely on people and culture. Outplacement and career transition are not sidelines for us — they’re core to our purpose.
Our model blends:
We don’t treat people like cases. We treat them like leaders in transition — because that’s what they are.
1. Employee Experience
Optimum Talent’s services are often structured around package tiers, with varying levels of access to senior coaching depending on the plan. CareerJoy delivers:
2. Canadian Context
Gallagher is a global U.S.-based firm. CareerJoy is deeply embedded in:
3. Brand Risk & Employer Trust
According to HRPA (2024):
CareerJoy’s white-glove transition protects your employer brand by:
Canadian labour rulings increasingly support the idea that outplacement — especially in government or unionized settings — is part of an employer’s duty of fairness.
CareerJoy helps reduce:
And we increase:
A prominent federal agency had long relied on Optimum Talent for executive search and talent services. However, when a reorganization necessitated outplacement for over 40 professionals, they reevaluated.
Their key needs:
CareerJoy was selected because:
“CareerJoy made our people feel respected, heard, and supported — even in a tough transition. They understood the culture, the complexity, and the stakes.” — S.C., Director of Talent, Government Agency
“With CareerJoy, I wasn’t just sent a link. I had a coach who listened to my story and helped me rebuild my confidence.”
— David Mathers, Outplacement Recipient
“I’d worked with others before. This was different. CareerJoy made me feel human again — not like I was being managed out.”
— Émilie Chen, Former Executive, Healthcare Sector
“They helped me explore entrepreneurship, not just apply for jobs. It changed everything.”
— Omar Bhatia, Career Transition Client
If your outplacement partner treats people like numbers, it’s time to rethink the model.
Let’s do it differently — with support that’s human-first, AI-smart, and built for Canadian workplaces.
CareerJoy is Canada’s national people & culture firm — trusted by the Government of Canada, Shopify, World Vision, BMW, YMCA, BGC Canada, and more. As an APEX partner with a 4.7 Google rating, we support career transitions, leadership development, and hybrid coaching across all sectors.
Human-first. AI-smart. 100% Canadian. Global reach. Proven results.
alan.kearns@careerjoy.com | 1-877-256-2569
