When employees leave your organization, do you rarely hear from them again? Or, do you make every effort to preserve long-term relationships and leave the door open to future partnerships? Separations might be challenging, but they can also be amiable and respectful. A well-planned and inclusive offboarding process benefits the departing employee, their former colleagues, and the organization as a whole.
People typically hold an average of 12 different jobs during their working years, according to government data. Each of those departures can be a good experience or a negative one, influencing the individual’s attitude about their former employer and what they tell others about the company. Research shows that organizations benefit when they maintain connections with former employees, with roughly 15% of new hires coming from referrals or rehires. In addition, a cordial separation process prevents reputational damage and risk of backlash from vocal ex-employees.
Why maintaining strong connections helps organizations
No leader wants to lose a top performer, but remember, even the best companies have some turnover. In fact, if the employee is leaving for a better job and a higher salary, their departure signals that you have a vibrant, growth-oriented workplace culture. Maintaining connections with former workers allows organizations to extend their network and turn alumni into brand ambassadors. Below are three reasons inclusive offboarding is a best practice.
- Strengthens the brand – Treating former employees well can generate word-of-mouth goodwill, while the opposite is also true. As anyone familiar with Glassdoor reviews knows, an organization’s reputation influences their ability to recruit quality candidates. A positive offboarding process increases the chances that former employees will refer potential recruits or recommend prospective business clients.
- Sets the stage for rehires – Inclusive offboarding also increases the chance that former employees will want to rejoin the organization. These “boomerang” employees might be parents or caregivers who take employment breaks because of family duties, retirees who return as consultants, or alumni who have gained skills and experience elsewhere. Whatever the situation, organizations benefit when former employees are rehired, both in time saved in training and preservation of institutional knowledge.
- Maintains team engagement – Departures disrupt how a team functions, and an open position can mean increased workloads and greater stress to maintain productivity. Even the smoothest transitions require remaining employees to adjust to a new colleague. A positive offboarding process retains engagement through clear communication about priorities, expectations, and timelines to fill the open role. When leaders are respectful toward the former employee, there is a lower chance that they will make negative comments that could damage team morale.
How to create an inclusive offboarding process
An inclusive offboarding process starts long before someone gives their two-week notice. Team leaders who make career conversations part of their ongoing management strategy have a clear understanding of their employees’ ambitions and goals. When an individual is ready for a bigger and better opportunity, it shouldn’t be a surprise to their manager. In fact, the leader should be helping them advance.
An employee who feels psychologically safe will be confident that their manager will support them, whatever their reason for quitting. Once the decision is made, there are several facets to an inclusive offboarding process that benefits the departing employee and the organization they are leaving.
Exit interviews
Organizations can gain valuable insights from departing employees, particularly when it comes to institutional challenges or weaknesses. Exit interviews give people an opportunity to describe why they are leaving, what would have made them stay, and what changes they would make. Psychological safety is essential in exit interviews; otherwise, workers won’t be frank in their responses. Ideally, HR should lead the interview so the departing employee can speak freely. Exit interviews also allow organizations to show that they value the employee’s perspective and are interested in improving the experience of staff who remain.
Clear communication
To prevent speculation that can damage psychological safety and workplace trust, leaders must communicate as transparently as possible with remaining employees. The person’s manager should inform their direct team in a group meeting, either in person or via video, before sharing the news with the entire company. Notice of the person’s departure and their last day of work can be emailed to the entire organization. While some personnel issues must obviously be private, management can set expectations about new workflows, additional training, and an anticipated timeline for a replacement.
Thoughtful transition
An inclusive offboarding process prioritizes succession planning and cross-training, setting the stage for continued productivity without overburdening remaining team members. To maintain continuity and preserve institutional knowledge, the departing worker should be given the opportunity to train their successor. If time or staffing constraints make that impossible, detailed documentation and how-to guides allow the rest of the team to fill any gaps. For highly technical jobs, some companies find it helpful to hire the former employee as a contractor, so they can answer questions and ensure a smooth transition.
Sincere and public thanks
An employee’s departure is an opportunity for their manager and team to acknowledge their impact on the organization. Whether the recognition comes in a farewell memo or speech over cake, the occasion should demonstrate the team’s goodwill and desire to maintain connections. A warm and personal final impression generates positive feelings that will last long after the employee has left the organization.
Compassion is key during involuntary exits
When an employee chooses to leave, it’s easier for managers to create an amicable parting. However, it’s equally important to ensure involuntary exits are as smooth and respectful as possible. Treating workers respectfully from the start ensures that a termination, if necessary, feels more predictable and less adversarial. Showing fairness throughout the employee’s tenure — by giving clear feedback, notice of issues, and opportunities for improvement — can prevent misunderstandings that may lead to anger or confusion at the point of departure.
Even when letting an employee go is the best decision for the organization, the process should be inclusive and compassionate. Key guidelines include conducting the conversation privately and in person, determining if security staff should be involved, ensuring the departing employee has access to their personal belongings, and making sure the individual has transportation home. Preserving the person’s dignity is the right thing to do, and it can help prevent an already challenging situation from escalating into workplace violence.
Inclusive principles can also help organizations manage layoffs. Authentic communication, transparency, and ample mental health support can help both former and retained employees navigate the process. Before implementing layoffs, leaders should ensure that appropriate Employee Assistance Programs are in place, along with plans for severance packages, logistics, FAQ responses, and other means of support. Remember, involuntary separations should always be conducted with compassion, regardless of the reason for the termination.
The offboarding process reflects an organization’s culture
It’s important to give an employee’s last few weeks at your organization as much care and thought as their first few weeks. Is there a process for turning in equipment and security badges? Will there be a farewell team lunch or cake in the breakroom? Do remaining colleagues have the information and training to take over any duties and responsibilities?
Answering these questions and others requires taking a human-centered, personalized approach to every separation and creating a plan that works best for the individual and the business. Inclusive offboarding is the natural bookend to an organization’s inclusive onboarding process. Both occasions build and reinforce a company culture that respects and values individuals throughout the employee lifecycle–from their first day to their last.
To learn how to cultivate an inclusive workplace, where strong relationships drive employee engagement and survive separations, sign up for the “Creating an Inclusive Workplace Workshop.” You’ll explore practical strategies and daily practices that serve as the catalyst for a workplace culture of clarity and respect.
Amber Keister is a Content Strategist at The Diversity Movement. She has spent more than 20 years as a journalist for publications throughout the South. Connect with her on Linkedin.
