LHH, formerly Lee Hecht Harrison, is the name most HR teams reach for first when a layoff needs an outplacement partner. It is the biggest firm in the category and it says so plainly, calling itself “the global leader in the outplacement industry.” This review sticks to what LHH actually publishes on lhh.com, verified September 2026, and marks anything it does not.
What LHH is
LHH is a talent-solutions and advisory company owned by the Adecco Group, the global staffing giant. That ownership is the strategic point: LHH can wrap outplacement into a wider offer that includes recruitment, leadership development, upskilling, and internal redeployment, so a company reducing headcount in one division can, in theory, move some of those people elsewhere rather than out.
The scale figures are LHH’s own, and worth reading as marketing rather than audited metrics: it currently reports 8,000-plus coaches and colleagues, 60 countries, 380-plus offices, and roughly 500,000 candidates served each year. Those numbers have crept upward over time. Older LHH releases cited around 4,000 coaches; today’s boilerplate says 8,000-plus. Treat the reach as genuinely large and the exact count as self-reported.
Programs and coaching model
LHH tiers its outplacement by employee level, which is the sensible way to run it:
- LHH Compass for hourly and entry-level workers, built around fast, guided connections to new jobs.
- LHH Active Placement, its program for professionals and managers, positioned as “outplacement reimagined” for digital hiring.
- The International Center for Executive Options (ICEO), a boutique practice reserved for senior executives.
Underneath sits the Career Studio platform and, within it, Career Canvas, which pairs generative-AI tools with real-time labor-market data to parse a resume, assess goals, and surface in-demand roles. LHH leans hard on a “human-first” message, saying it matches candidates with career consultants who have experience in their field, even as it adds AI tooling.
One thing LHH does not publish is program length or session structure. There is no stated number of coaching sessions, no program duration, and no clarity on whether you get one dedicated coach or pooled access. For a category where “how many months and how many sessions” is the whole question, that silence is worth noting.
What LHH costs, and what it will not tell you
For a corporate engagement, LHH does not publish pricing. The enterprise outplacement pages route you to “get in touch,” which means a custom quote and a sales conversation before you see a number. That is normal for the enterprise tier of this category, but it is the opposite of transparent.
There is one honest exception. LHH’s self-serve store, shop.lhh.com, publishes starting prices for two productized programs an individual can buy directly: a Job Search Essentials Program “starting at $2,400” and a Professional Outplacement Program “starting at $5,200,” both verified September 2026. So the accurate summary is: enterprise outplacement is quote-only, but LHH does publish two self-serve starting prices for individuals who are paying out of pocket.
Who LHH fits
LHH fits employers running large or multi-country layoffs who want a single vendor that handles local legal and cultural compliance everywhere at once, and who value tiered coverage from hourly staff up to the C-suite. Senior executives are served by the dedicated ICEO practice, which is a real differentiator against smaller firms.
It fits least well two groups. Individuals paying for themselves get a program built around employer sponsorship, aside from the two shop SKUs, so the transparent, buy-it-now experience is thin. And any buyer who needs to compare program length or session counts up front will be frustrated, because LHH does not publish them.
Honest cons
- Enterprise pricing is quote-only. No rate card, no published tiers for corporate buyers.
- No published program length or session limits, so you cannot compare intensity without a sales call.
- Self-reported, shifting scale figures. The headline stats are LHH’s own and have been revised upward, so read them as marketing.
- Scale can dilute the personal touch. A single participant inside a 500,000-a-year machine may feel like one of many, depending on the engagement.
How LHH compares
If your priority is scale and global logistics, LHH is the default, with Right Management and Korn Ferry as the other enterprise-grade options. If your priority is a published price you can budget against before you call anyone, Randstad RiseSmart ($899 to $6,499), INTOO ($600 to $3,750), and VelvetJobs (from about $500) are more transparent, all verified September 2026. And if you were laid off with no benefit at all and are buying for yourself, LHH’s $2,400 self-serve tier is one option, but a single career coach or a resume writer may do more for less.
For the full field ranked side by side, see our comparison of the best outplacement services, and for how the price is actually built, our outplacement cost guide.
FAQ
Does LHH publish outplacement pricing?
Not for enterprise engagements, which are quote-only. Its self-serve shop (shop.lhh.com) does publish two starting prices for individuals: $2,400 for Job Search Essentials and $5,200 for the Professional Outplacement Program, verified September 2026.
Is LHH the same as Lee Hecht Harrison?
Yes. Lee Hecht Harrison rebranded to LHH. It is owned by the Adecco Group and describes itself as the global leader in outplacement.
How long is an LHH outplacement program?
LHH does not publish program length or session counts. Duration is set in the custom quote, so you have to ask directly.
Who pays for LHH outplacement?
Almost always the employer, as part of a severance package. Individuals can buy the two self-serve programs on shop.lhh.com directly.