Turn that Frown Upside Down: Make the Most of Off-boarding

When organizations look for ways to improve their employee experience, off-boarding is often overlooked as they focus more on attracting, training and managing new employees. In fact, research by Aberdeen found that only 20% of organizations have any form of formal off-boarding. However, organizations should consider developing and enhancing their off-boarding process as it can ultimately help benefit both the organization and its reputation.

But what should you include in your off-boarding process?

1)    Acknowledge and honor the employee’s contributions to your organization: When an employee is leaving your organization on good terms and has been a productive and beneficial asset to your company, make their exit one to remember. Give them a memorable farewell and show appreciation for them and their work. This will leave them with a positive last memory of your organization, which can lead them to speak positively of your organization in the future.

2)    Have an Off-boarding Checklist: Create a customizable off-boarding checklist to help make sure you get everything you need. Like onboarding, this will streamline the off-boarding process and make it easier for everyone. This way, you can focus more on celebrating and taking care of your employees.   

3)    Give support: When an employee exits the organization, do what you can to help them, whether its career help or providing them with resources. Make sure they know that there is someone at the organization who cares for them and is there to support and look out for them. This will, again, leave the employee with a favorable image of your organization, allow you to maintain positive ties, and leave the employee feeling happy and supported. You can also use this opportunity to network with the employee by preserving the relationship with them and using their own networks to potentially find new candidates to fill the vacant position.

4)    Use their exit as a learning opportunity: Lastly, turn that frown upside down and turn an employee’s exit into a learning opportunity for your organization. Use the exit interview to provide employees with a safe space to express why they are leaving and just listen. You might find out some new insights that will help make your organization better.

Off-boarding is important to remember as it is one of the last memories your employees will have with your organization. Positive experiences will help you maintain a positive image, which can be hard to do, especially with the prevalence of rating websites such as LinkedIn and Glassdoor. You also may never know where your employee will end up in the future, and maintaining that positive relationship can be useful for networking in the future. So turn a bittersweet experience into an opportunity that everyone can benefit from.