People leave organizations for many reasons. Some move away. Some leave for new opportunities for themselves or their partner. Some are laid off because of a shortage of work or a downturn in the economy. Some are asked to leave. Each time someone leaves an organization, there are steps to follow and there is an opportunity to gain valuable insight that is often missed or dismissed by some organizations.
I believe in several fundamental truths about most people who come to work for any organization.
- At the time of their hiring, they represented the best person available the organization could hire.
- With few exceptions most people want to do a good job when they work, especially when they first start.
- People have insights and opinions about how their organizations can improve.
Successful organizations nurture and develop their people through ongoing training. They provide performance reviews and conversations to help people who care excel. They also facilitate mechanisms for their people to provide feedback, suggestions, and even criticisms in a “safe” environment. Sometimes though, even successful organizations can fail to build an “offboarding” process.
Steps to closing your “offboarding gap.”
Begin with a checklist. Like an “onboarding” process, “off-boarding” will be a living process that evolves and changes with experience and lessons learned. A checklist will help to ensure that organizational relationships close properly and completely. Some checklist basics will include.
Reasons why the relationship is ending. If a person resigns, they should provide a written letter of resignation with appropriate notice. The letter should contain basic information, such as:
- The current date
- The person’s desired final date of working
- A brief explanation of the circumstances around the change. Note for all reasons for leaving, including termination, having concise and clear documentation is vitally important.
Acknowledgment by the supervisor or manager, simply signing and dating the resignation letter is usually sufficient. Many successful organizations will have a resignation process in their employee handbooks. Resignation by text or email should be discouraged.
Ask the person, “Are they sure they really need to leave?” Sometimes people decide to leave because of a misunderstanding or misinterpretation, and before an organization loses a key person, it is always important to see if they might change their mind.
Notify key people when an organizational relationship is ending. Depending on the circumstances for the person leaving, always try to respect confidentiality; however, for succession planning, organizations must have as much time as necessary to find a replacement. Record the names of the necessary officials on the checklist.
- The Management Team – Depending on the circumstances, an associate may want to delay notifying the entire organization that they are departing, but supervisors, managers, and owners should be made aware. Schedules will have to be altered and an interim and permanent replacement will have to be found. Part of “Minding the Gap,” is ensuring key people know what is happening.
- Key customers or clients – Managing customer/client/service relationships and bridging from one contact to another requires sensitivity and preparation. Never underestimate the ripple effect of one person leaving an organization can have.
- Payroll and Benefits – Organizations have a legal responsibility to prepare a record of employment and calculate vacation and regular final pay entitlements. Benefit providers must be notified as well as collecting any benefit cards. In the case of termination, severance may need to be paid as well. Having all these requirements prepared in advance on a checklist will ensure nothing gets lost in “the gap.”
Schedule an “Exit Interview.” Many successful organizations take the opportunity to gain insight and feedback from the departing person. Using a standard list of questions can help organize the information shared. Depending on the circumstances of the departure, having a “neutral” interviewer may help encourage comments.
During the exit interview,confirm forwarding contact information for taxation purposes and any other future correspondence.
Use a neutral or empty office. Regardless of the reasons for a person’s departure planning on having a place for the person leaving to compose themselves is important as is their right to privacy. Most people find leaving an organization to be very emotional and highly stressful, do not be surprised by how this affects people.
Always have a witness for exit interviews or when someone is leaving. This is particularly important when a person’s relationship is being terminated. The departing person’s reaction can range from quiet acceptance to violent screaming and everything in between.
Always treat people with as much dignity and respect. The hallmark of any successful organization is to treat everyone well regardless of the circumstances. While this does not have to be written on the checklist, all personnel involved in the “offboarding” process should clearly understand and acknowledge the importance of this.
Have a process to return any company property promptly.
- Keys – To avoid the expense of changing locks, ensure all keys are returned and personal security codes are deleted promptly on the person’s last day.
- Benefit Cards – Health Cards, Gas Cards, company credit cards. All should be returned immediately unless special arrangements have been made.
- Uniforms, computers, cell phones – These are standard, but remind the associate to remove any personal pictures or files before their final day.
- Passwords and Email Forwarding – Arrange new passwords and forward correspondence of all email and company social media accounts. Take care to delete the departing person from all “group” emails.
Allow time for the person to collect their personal effects. When a person is resigning or being transferred, allow time to collect their things as part of their regular day. If a person is being terminated, as mentioned, be very aware of their feelings and dignity as well. Allow them time to say goodbye to their co-workers. If is okay to monitor the situation and develop an appropriate time limit to avoid lingering.
Explain the situation briefly. When a person is terminated or no notice is provided, take the time to speak to staff. Protect the departing associate’s privacy and the organization by being brief. Ensure staff knows how to respond to inquiries about the departing person when queried by customers, clients, suppliers, and other contacts.
When it is time to leave, say “thank you.” Take the time and walk them to the door in a friendly way. Many times, when a person is retiring or leaving by choice, consider having a staff get-together so everyone can have closure.
This is not an exhaustive “exit checklist;” however, even a basic list such as this will be effective. People come and go from organizations every day; it should be anticipated. Organizations that are prepared for “Off-boarding,” will be better equipped for adapting and overcoming the loss of any person in their organization. Minding the gap, having a checklist, and conducting “exit” interviews are all key elements to handling these situations properly for the organization to succeed.
Good luck,
Paul.
Oh, and one more thing, obtaining advice from your local labor board or lawyer should always be a consideration depending on the circumstances of a departure.