What is offboarding?
Offboarding is the entire process surrounding an employee's departure. Offboarding is also referred to as exit management. There are many ways to shape this process. The absolute starting point must in any case be that, however difficult the situation may be, the departure or offboarding is experienced by the employee as positive.
Onboarding and offboarding: what do they have to do with each other?
What have onboarding and offboarding have to do with each other? Onboarding is about the process surrounding entry into employment and offboarding about the process surrounding exit from employment. In both cases it is about these processes being experienced as positive. Whereas onboarding was previously considered more important, increasing attention is now also being paid to offboarding. Read also 10 tips for an onboarding program for new employees .
A positive employee offboarding: why is this so important?
A positive employee offboarding not only gives you a better reputation but also produces ambassadors. With a strong offboarding program you, as an organization, show how you treat your employees. Do you treat them with respect, even if they'd rather work somewhere else? Respect and sincere attention is of course during the whole employee journey van belang. But do you still show this when the company's results don't allow you to keep someone employed any longer? Or if an employee nevertheless decides to seek his or her luck elsewhere? It is precisely then that you must show what your organization is made of. A good offboarding process not only gives you a better corporate reputation, but also ensures that employees don't merely become former employees or alumni, but ambassadors for your company. They can help you in the future with recruiting staff and customers, or through the warm contact eventually return to the familiar nest. A positive employee journey helps you find talent.
Employee offboarding checklist
An employee offboarding checklist helps you achieve a positive offboarding of your employee. It should be clear: it's time to give this neglected child the attention and love it deserves again. Offboarding must be put back properly on the map at both HR and with managers. You do this with a clear process, a consistent message, good communication and of course with enough time to talk with each other and share concerns/wishes. This handy employee offboarding checklist will help you with that:
1. Thank your employee
Of you like that someone is leaving or not, always thank your employee for his or her commitment and the energy someone has put into your organization. Is your employee moving on to another interesting position? Then a congratulations is in order!
2. Communicate the departure
Let your team know that someone is going to leave. Of course the employee may be involved in this themselves, but it is important that as an employer you do not leave this entirely to the departing colleague. Always communicate from the inside out: first the direct colleagues, then the other departments and then customers and suppliers. Of course you should tell them right away who they can turn to going forward.
3. Ensure transfer
A departing employee can suddenly take a lot of knowledge with them. Prevent this by ensuring a proper handover of knowledge and tasks. It's ideal if this goes directly to a successor, but otherwise at least make sure that immediate colleagues know all the ins and outs. Use a handover document, that way you can be sure you don't forget anything.
4. Inform about the future
Don't let anyone just go. Find out what you as an employer can still contribute in the future. This can be career guidance, a good recommendation, a pension plan or the opportunity to join an alumni network.
5. Prepare the final financial balance sheet
The finances must of course also be arranged. This includes any outstanding vacation days, the final salary payment and accrued allowances, a pension overview, a year‑end statement and, if applicable, an agreed transition payment.
6. Ensure that company assets are returned
Have an employee hand in company property such as a laptop, phone, access badge or other documents.
7. Arrange administrative matters
This includes, among other things, revoking system access, ensuring an out-of-office message on the departing employee's email address, and updating folders, internal and external employee pages, and the organizational chart.
8. Hold an exit interview
Take the time for an exit interview with the employee who is leaving. Give someone the chance to speak openly and honestly about his or her experiences within your organization. Talk as little as possible yourself but above all listen, this can give you a wealth of information! And an employee who feels heard will retain a better feeling about his employment with your organization.
9. Organize a nice farewell
A departing employee also finds appreciation important. Nothing can feel as unpleasant as a rushed or half‑hearted farewell. Therefore organize a good, fitting and personal send-off together with direct colleagues. This can be a nice lunch, a few kind words or a grand farewell party. Choose something that suits a person's personality and the role he or she had within the organization.
10. Stay in touch
Honor valued former employees and make sure they don't forget your organization. You can do this by, for example, inviting them to alumni networks, the annual company get-together, or sending them a nice gift during the holidays. But also by simply asking every now and then how they're doing. However you choose to shape this, maintaining a good relationship with your alumni can be very valuable in the long run.
This employee offboarding checklist can help you shape the offboarding process as well as possible. Of course you can still add or adjust steps. The most important thing is that it works for your organization.
A good offboarding process not only gives you a better company reputation, but also ensures that employees don't just become former employees, but ambassadors for your company.
