Time to say goodbye and good luck? When an employee leaves the company, for whatever reason, it pays to make their departure well planned, professional and positive. In other words: offboarding. Here are 6 tips, plus one bonus tip, on what you as a manager and employer should keep in mind.
Most companies know how important onboarding is. But the truth is, a good last impression matters just as much.
With a structured offboarding process, you reduce the risk of things falling between the cracks, make the handover smoother and gain valuable feedback on what you already do well, and what you could improve as an employer.
The way an employee leaves also shapes how they remember you. A positive final experience increases the chances that they will continue to speak well of you, recommend you to others and perhaps even consider returning further down the line.
So, how do you create a truly professional offboarding experience? Here are our best tips.
Checklist for successful offboarding
1. Go through the practical details together with the employee
There are quite a few practical questions to sort out before the employee leaves, so make sure to sit down and talk them through together. Details to cover include:
- How long is the notice period, and when will the employee’s last working day be?
- How will the employee receive their employment certificate and reference?
- What happens to any remaining holiday entitlement?
- How and when will you let colleagues know that the employee is leaving?
2. Create a checklist and delegate tasks
Returning a computer, keys and access cards. Handing over to a successor. Paying final salary and holiday pay. Cancelling a mobile phone subscription. There are plenty of practical tasks to tick off the offboarding to-do list.
In many cases, several different roles and departments are involved in the process, which increases the risk of something being missed. A clear plan and digital checklists showing what needs to be done, when and by whom will give you the best possible foundation for a watertight offboarding process.
3. Plan the handover
Who will take over from the person leaving, and what do you need to know before their last day? Create a plan for the handover to their successor so that important information and knowledge are not lost. Questions to go through include:
- Which tasks and responsibilities are part of the employee’s day-to-day work?
- Are there any planned projects the successor needs to know about?
- Does the successor have access to all the documentation and contact details they need?
- Are there any systems they need access to, or training in?
In short: make good use of the final weeks and gather as much valuable knowledge as you can while you still have the chance.
4. Close accounts and remove access rights
Email, HR systems, payroll systems, project spaces, cloud services, chat tools, shared documents, access control systems and external platforms. Most workplaces today use a wide range of systems and digital environments that should only be accessible to current employees.
That is why IT needs a clear plan for blocking or removing access to accounts, licences and digital assets when someone leaves. Cancelling subscriptions on time and closing access to sensitive information is important both for avoiding unnecessary costs and for reducing the risk of information and data security issues.
5. Gather valuable feedback in the exit interview
How did the employee really experience their time with you? Is there anything you could have done differently to make them stay? Did the role live up to the expectations they had from the start?
An exit interview is an excellent opportunity to understand why the employee is leaving and to gather valuable insights. Over time, these insights can help you improve your organisation and reduce employee turnover.
Here you can read more about how to conduct a good exit interview.
6. Arrange a farewell based on the employee’s wishes
Marking the employee’s last day in some way and showing appreciation for their contribution is always a thoughtful gesture. Just remember to be sensitive to the employee’s preferences. Not everyone wants to be the centre of attention or give a thank-you speech in front of the whole company. Some may prefer a simple coffee with the team. Ask your employee what they would appreciate.
Bonus tip: strengthen your offboarding with smart tools
With many tasks to keep track of and several roles involved across the company, creating a smooth and efficient offboarding process can be a challenge. User-friendly digital tools can help you put the right structure and division of responsibilities in place.
In our HR system, Flex HRM Employee, digital checklists and reminders help ensure that each responsible person is notified when there is an activity to complete.
The benefits are clear: nothing important falls between the cracks, and you avoid manual input, endless email threads and complicated Excel sheets. As an added bonus, the process also becomes more consistent and high quality across the entire organisation.
In short: with smart digital tools for offboarding, you and your colleagues can automate away administrative hassle, improve quality and free up time. Time you can instead spend talking to your employees and making the most of your final period together.
Please feel free to contact us if you would like to know more.
Frequently asked questions about offboarding
What is offboarding?
Offboarding is the process that takes place when an employee leaves an organisation, whether because of resignation, retirement, the end of a probationary period, restructuring or another type of departure. A good offboarding process includes both practical elements, such as returning equipment and closing access rights, and more human elements, such as handovers, exit interviews and internal communication.
Why is offboarding important?
A clear offboarding process makes the departure safer and smoother for both the employee and the company. It reduces the risk of missed administrative steps, makes the handover easier and helps the employer collect valuable feedback.
Last but not least, a professional ending can contribute to a stronger employer brand, as the employee carries the experience with them even after their last working day.
Who is responsible for offboarding?
Offboarding is often a shared responsibility between the manager, HR, payroll and IT. The manager is usually responsible for the handover, team communication and the day-to-day aspects of the departure. HR is responsible for the process, documentation and exit interview. Payroll handles final salary, holiday pay and other payments, while IT is responsible for closing accounts, licences and access rights.
The most important thing is that the division of responsibilities is clear.
How can an HR system simplify offboarding?
An HR system can make offboarding more structured through digital checklists, automatic reminders and a clear division of responsibilities. It becomes easier to see which steps have been completed, which remain and who is responsible for what.
In other words, it reduces the risk of anything falling between the cracks, especially in organisations where several people and departments are involved.
