Essential tips for a comprehensive staff departure checklist

As business owners, we know full well the mix of emotions experienced when an employee decides to leave a company; it marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another!

While departures are inevitable, they also present challenges in terms of ensuring a smooth transition and maintaining operational continuity.

So, here are some of the things we keep front and centre when we’re saying goodbye to a member of our IPEX family.

?

Communicating effectively

Open and transparent communication is key when an employee decides to depart. Once departure dates have been set, inform any relevant stakeholders, like team members, managers, and HR, as soon as possible.

Clearly communicate the departing employee's last working day to everyone and any relevant information to the respective teams, such as letting HR know their reasons for leaving and how you picture the transition to impact other team members’ workloads.

?

Gather Necessary Information

Make sure you compile a list of all the company’s assets that your leaving employee has – laptops, phones, any other tech or equipment, keys, access cards. Especially in businesses where data compliance is a key concern, don’t forget to include any company-owned physical and virtual documents or files in your audit, too.

From the opposite point of view, it’s also essential to ask the departing employee to provide their logins for any-and-all accounts they use their work email address for, as well as their computers and other devices.

Depending on the amicability of the departure, that may not always be possible, but having Mobile Device Management software already installed on devices can help remove that challenge very easily if need be!

?

Transfer Knowledge and Responsibilities

You need to ensure anything they know – current projects, deadlines, plans etc. are all shared before it’s too late.?

So, identify who is best placed to take on their responsibilities, whether permanently or temporarily, and arrange for the departing employee to document their tasks, projects, and processes and go through them line-by-line with their successor.

Manage Access and Security

As they reach the end of their notice period, there will come a point where you have to disable their access to company systems, networks, and physical premises, all to protect sensitive information and maintain security.

Don’t forget any company-owned devices, such as laptops, mobile phones, or access cards, along with the peripherals, uniforms, or anything else you may have provided them with over the years.

Again, Mobile Device Management software comes in really handy here, especially if there’s any disagreement about who’s got what, or whether expensive devices have been returned or not!

Facilitate a Fond Farewell

Depending on their time with the company, impact on the team and seniority, you might want to arrange a farewell gathering – even a virtual send-off if all else fails – to express your appreciation for their contributions and wish them well in their future endeavours.

?

Transition, Evaluate and Improve

The ‘offboarding process’ can be awkward, sad, and even feel negative sometimes, but it’s essential. Complete the necessary paperwork and termination forms, deliver their exit interview and double-check those final pay calculations.

Provide ongoing support in those last weeks, and assist where you can, to keep their transition frictionless, like offering career guidance and referrals. Make sure you check in with their ‘successor’ regularly too so that nothing gets missed through the process!

Exit interviews are a common challenge for many, but make sure to listen and take their feedback on board – it’s a vital tool for improving the employee experience in the future.

After the departure process is complete, take the time to evaluate the effectiveness of the process by asking for feedback from any relevant stakeholders, so you can refine it in the future and help everyone involved.

Establishing a comprehensive staff departure checklist can ensure a smooth, repeatable, and efficient transition when employees leave the organisation.

The right technology, especially Mobile Device Management and networking software makes it even easier, so feel free to call 0330 058 0699 or visit IPEX.technology if you’d like to explore the tools that take some of that pressure of your shoulders.

To keep up-to-date with all telecoms and technology related news subscribe to our Experience Matters newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn.