OFF-Boarding

Organizations have been focusing on on-boarding procedures for long now.  However, an area which still needs attention is the off boarding of employees. It is as important as an Induction process. Maybe it is even more important in fact, as the employee who is leaving has worked for our organization and contributed towards its progress as per the role.

Employees often face a very cold attitude in their exit process and in the end leave the organization with a bitter taste in mind. Organizations are now realizing the importance of an effective exit process for the employees.

HR, Department Heads and colleagues play an important role in this. We talk so much about professionalism and we should not forget that one has to be professional till the end. All exit procedures must be executed – handovers, briefings, sign offs with complete maturity and humanity.

Let’s not forget here that of course the attitude of the exiting employee and circumstances for exit play a key role here and the scenario may change due to that. However if an employee leaves under normal circumstances the exit should fill the heart with positive emotion and not negative emotions.

Some things to keep in mind:

• HR Exit procedures – Explanation & Execution - responsibilities and time lines.
• Team Handovers – Details and emotions
• Department Managers – Clarity and Courtesy

And above all an exiting employee should feel valued even on exit and feel proud to have been a part of the organization.

An effective off-boarding process reveals a lot of important information for the organization. A good Exit interview can help us identify :

• Factors that lead to the exit – Hygiene factors, motivational factors.
• Gaps and improvements for future recruitment.
• Competitor insights on compensation, procedures and benefits.
• Other areas of concern that an exiting employee might point out which may need to be investigated to ensure the problem areas are dealt with.

Any employee is the biggest brand ambassador for a company by way of word of mouth.  An exiting employee can do a lot of good or harm the company’s reputation. What an employee experiences during the last few weeks with the company sticks to the mind and will eventually mold the memory of that organization.