How to Resign without Burning Bridges: My 3 Top Tips

Often, one of the hardest things to do in business is hand in your notice. It’s hard regardless of whether you enjoyed the job or not. But ultimately, you need to follow the career trajectory that’s right for you.

In this article, I’ll share my thoughts on how to resign in an honest, professional way. Even if you never want to see your boss again, it is almost always worth staying on good terms with former employers: you are likely to require references from them, you might encounter them at industry events, and – who knows – you may even end up working with them again later down the line.

For these reasons, it’s imperative to resign without burning bridges. Here are my top 3 tips for doing precisely that.

1. Be Transparent

I have been running businesses and managing people for over 30 years, and I’m still surprised that resignation often appears to be so secretive. Every day, people join companies and people leave companies. Employers recognise that there will be staff turnover: it’s part of the natural evolution of growing a business.

For me, the best way an employee can avoid burning bridges is by being open, transparent, and honest. If things haven’t worked out, tell the employer why you think things haven’t worked out. If you’ve had a better offer, tell them you’ve had a better offer.

This is important for several reasons, which I will explore in more detail in the next two points. A good employer should be grateful for critical feedback, as it allows them to make essential improvements. Or, if money is the issue and the company values you, they may well be able to match the salary you’ve been offered.

2. Identify Key Areas for Improvement

Perhaps you’re considering resigning because there are aspects of your job that prevent you from developing or achieving as much as you would like. The best thing you can do is to share those feelings. So long as you remain polite, even-handed, and professional, no manager should be angry at an opportunity to improve the experience of employees they’re managing.

But that’s not all. In some cases, you could receive an offer of an alternative position: a different department, a different location, or even a different line manager. At times, I’ve been able to offer people the opportunity to work abroad. If you have an employee who’s been hard-working and effective, you don’t want to lose that individual. Opportunities which might suit them better provide a win-win situation for the employee and the employer.

3. Don’t Be Afraid to Talk about Money

Especially here in Britain, people tend to be very awkward when it comes to talking about money. It’s something of a social taboo. But salary negotiations can be nerve-wracking for everyone, regardless of where you come from.

Nevertheless, talking about money in your resignation gives employees a significant advantage: you have nothing to lose. By the time of resignation, most people have been offered another opportunity. On the basis that you’re going to leave anyway, what have you got to lose by stating your financial goals?

If you’re open about your expectations for remuneration – as well as your broader ambitions and motivations – you might be surprised that your current employer can address a number of those issues without you leaving.

Conclusion

Nowadays, people are moving jobs much more regularly. Though the tech industry is known for its higher-than-average employee turnover, it is significant that in the world’s 10 biggest tech companies, the average employee stays for less than two years. Resignation is a more common reality in business than ever before.

But if you leave on a sour note, you’re setting yourself up for trouble. Many organisations take very detailed references, and a question they typically ask is ‘would you re-employ your former employee?’. If the answer is anything less than a resounding ‘yes’, then that’s a significant black mark on your application.

I have also seen circumstances where things don’t work out at the new job, and employees on good terms with their former managers can return to their previous jobs. You’ll benefit from a lot of peace of mind if you’re able to leave the door open.

I hope these tips were useful, and if you have any wisdom of your own on the best way to resign, I’d love to read your suggestions in the comments.

James Caan CBE

www.james-caan.com