Time to say goodbye and good luck? When an employee leaves the company for any reason, it's essential to carry out a well-planned and professional transition period – the offboarding. Here are 6 tips (and a bonus tip) on what you should bear in mind as a manager and employer.
Most companies realize the importance of a good onboarding process to give new employees the best possible start in their job. But the fact is, a positive last impression through a well-planned offboarding process is equally – if not more – important. With a carefully thought-out process, you reduce the risk of practical tasks falling through the cracks and facilitate the handover to the person taking over the job.
Additionally, you can gather valuable feedback about your strengths and weaknesses as an employer. Lastly, but definitely not least, it's important to remember that this final period will significantly impact the impression the employee carries with them from their workplace. A satisfied employee will inherently become a good ambassador who speaks highly of the company within their networks. And who knows, perhaps the person will even consider returning to you after spreading their wings elsewhere for a while. With that said, what should you and your colleagues keep in mind to provide a genuinely professional offboarding? Here are our best tips!
Checklist for a Successful Offboarding
- Go through practical details with the employee
Several practical questions must be answered before the exit, so make sure to sit down and talk things over with your employee. Details that need to be addressed include: – How long is the notice period, and when will the employee have their last working day? – How will the employee receive their employer's certificate and service certificate? – What are the arrangements regarding any potential remaining vacation days? – How and when should you communicate to colleagues that the employee is leaving? Also, remember to schedule an exit interview where you exchange feedback about the employee's time with the company. - Create a checklist and delegate tasks
Returning the computer, keys, and access card, handing over to the successor, final payment of salary and vacation compensation, closing the mobile phone subscription... There are several practical tasks to check off on the offboarding to-do list. Often, different roles within the company are involved, increasing the risk of things being missed or overlooked. A well-thought-out plan and (digital) checklists clearly indicating what needs to be done, when, and by whom, maximize the conditions for a foolproof offboarding process. - Plan the handover
Who will take over after the departing employee, and what do you need to know before the employee's last day? Make a handover plan for your successor to avoid losing important information and knowledge. Questions you need to address include: What tasks and responsibilities are part of the daily work? Are there any upcoming projects that the successor needs to be aware of? Does the successor have access to all the documentation and contact information they need? Are there any systems the person needs access to and perhaps training in?
In other words, make good use of the remaining time and gather valuable information and knowledge from the employee while you have the chance! - Close accounts and revoke permissions
Intranets, email accounts, and customer databases... Most workplaces have various systems and platforms that only employees should have access to. Does the IT department have a plan for blocking or removing access to all these accounts and digital assets? Closing licenses and subscriptions on time and blocking access to sensitive personal data is essential for both cost and data security reasons. - Gather valuable feedback in the exit interview
How did your employee truly experience their time with you? Is there anything you could have done differently to make them stay? Has the job lived up to the expectations that were set from the beginning? An exit interview, also commonly referred to as an offboarding interview, is a perfect opportunity to gain an understanding of why the employee is leaving and gather valuable insights. This can ultimately help you improve your operations and reduce employee turnover. You can read more about how to conduct a successful exit interview here (in Swedish). - Arrange a farewell event – based on the employee's preferences
Acknowledging the last day of work and showing appreciation for the employee's contributions is always a well-received gesture. However, it's important to be attentive to the employee's preferences. Not everyone enjoys being in the spotlight and giving farewell speeches in front of the entire company. They might prefer a simple get-together instead. Ask your employees how they would like to be celebrated!
Bonus Tip: Boost Your Offboarding Process with Smart Tools
With numerous tasks to manage and various roles involved, achieving a smooth and efficient offboarding process can be challenging. Using user-friendly digital tools is an effective way to establish the necessary structure and allocation of responsibilities. In our HR system HR-system Flex HRM Employee, for example, you can benefit from digital checklists and reminders automatically assigned to the responsible parties whenever an activity is to be completed.
The advantages are many: nothing important falls through the cracks, and you eliminate manual data entry, endless email threads, and complicated spreadsheets. As a bonus, the process becomes more consistent and high-quality across the organization. In summary, by leveraging smart digital tools for offboarding, you and your colleagues can automate administrative complexities, enhance quality, and free up time – time that can be better spent engaging with your employees and maximizing your remaining time together.
