How to Get Employee Offboarding Right

There comes a time in the lifecycle of every employee when it’s time to say goodbye. Whether it’s on good terms or not, employee offboarding is an important part of the process. Offboarding is the process of separation between an employee and a company. It may seem unnecessary to dedicate time to an employee that is leaving but nothing is farther from the truth. Offboarding is important because it helps a company learn about the employee experience, is a quick audit of the employer brand, and the insights are vital to developing an antidote against employee turnover. It’s vital to make the process a positive experience for all parties. Not sure where to start? Here’s how to get employee offboarding right.

If it’s a situation where you have to let the employee go or if the employee decides to leave for another opportunity, communication is key. It’s important to ensure that everyone understands clearly where the situation stands. Set a clear date for the employee’s last day and communicate the expectations. Leave no room for a misunderstanding between your organization and the employee. This not only prevents liabilities but will also help the ensure that a clear plan is in place follow through the proper offloading process.

Don’t leave any loose ends when the employee leaves. Every employee has a bank of knowledge and resources that needs to be passed on and collected by your organization. All access to proprietary resources and platforms needs to be closed. The responsibilities of the leaving employee need to be transitioned to the employee that will be taking over those responsibilities. Whether there needs to be introductions made to clients or tasks, make a clear plan and spell out each step to make sure nothing falls through the cracks when employee leaves.

The exit interview is the single most important part of employee offboarding. It’s a great way to create a positive experience and also a great resource to gather insights about your employer brand and the employee experience. Employees that are leaving tend to be more honest about their experience. The exit interview gives you a chance to see where your company’s shortcomings are. Use the insights the employee gives you to improve the employee experience and find where your can your employer brand.

Never close the door to an employee. Even if the employee didn’t perform, you never know how a person will develop in the future. Leave the door open for an employee to come back in the future. Even if these ex-employees never come back, these employees know other professionals and they will be more likely to recommend your company to their colleagues.

When you communicate clearly, develop a transition plan, conduct an exit interview, and leave the door open, the employee offboarding process will go smoothly. It’s easy to overlook this process and skip over it entirely, don’t do it. You will thank yourself for investing the time and effort into give each employee the proper offboarding. The insights you can glean and learnings you can take away will help you retain employees in the future and strengthen your employer brand. Need more tips on how to get the most of your offboarding and hiring process, connect with us by clicking the link below.