Offboarding & Terminations
December 13, 2022
The Underrated, but Necessary, Process
One of the least popular aspects of the human resources and management teams is the offboarding process. Organizations invest valuable time and resources into recruiting and onboarding their employees but may be missing the mark by overlooking or not implementing an employee exit process. This missed opportunity may result in the loss of current employees and also potential performance improvements and cultural growth.
How is my organization at risk by not following an employee exit process?
- Legal ramifications: Knowledge of underlying issues, company culture, or employee rights violations
- Knowledge: Collect essential knowledge from the employee
- Opportunities: Transition interns and part-time employees to full-time employees
- Connection: Potential boomerang employee (employee that may return to the company)
- Perception: Employee is not perceived to be valued
- Reputation: Employee may post negative reviews and or speak negatively publicly
As you consider your organization’s current employee exit process or lack thereof, the process should align with your culture and remain consistent regardless of voluntary or involuntary terminations. This process should be conducted by two senior team members, other than the direct supervisor, who understand the best practices and that can diffuse negative situations or volatile temperaments.
The employee offboarding should contain, at a minimum, the following:
- Document your employee’s resignation/termination which should be placed in the employee file
- Communicate with management to develop a plan of action to ensure a seamless transition of responsibilities (including training their replacement)
- Discuss final pay, benefits coverage (COBRA, 401k, retirement plans, etc.), vacation, PTO, severance
- Collect company equipment, terminate badge access, and revoke system access
- Conduct the exit interview
Example questions for voluntary resignations:
- Can you provide a list of your current projects and important deadlines?
- What would you change about your current position?
- What did you think of your training and the way you were managed?
- Was there an incident or final act that resulted in your resignation?
- To retirees, “Would you consider contract work, mentoring employees, spokesperson”?
Investing in your offboarding process is a value that will be returned tenfold.