In this phase, loose ends are tied and the project is transitioned to a daily work environment
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Posted by: Lucid Content Team Employee turnover is inevitable—and while it’s never easy, managing those transitions is an important and valuable investment for companies. Ideally, you want to part ways on good terms with the employees who move on. But the transition process can be cumbersome and employees often leave feeling dissatisfied, disrespected, or otherwise unimpressed with their experience. A strong offboarding program can help HR avoid common pitfalls in the employee exit process and improve the overall transition for both sides. Offboarding Process Flowchart Example (Click on image to modify online)What is offboarding?You’ve probably heard of onboarding—when a new employee joins your ranks, you take steps to introduce them to the team, culture, tools, and knowledge base of the organization so they are equipped to succeed in their new role. In contrast, offboarding manages the employee experience at the end of their tenure with the organization. Offboarding covers all the steps necessary to successfully part ways with an employee following their resignation or termination. When done well, a clear offboarding process ensures a smooth transition for both the company and the departing employee. Why you need an offboarding processWe’ve already touted the importance of creating an employee termination process. But the truth is that the work isn’t done when the termination (or resignation) is official. What comes next is a crucial part of your employee lifecycle and organizational success in the long run. There is a laundry list of to-dos for both HR and the employee during the exit period. The employee will need to return any company-issued resources (such as a laptop or mobile phone), hand in their ID badge, and clear their desk. HR will also have to handle all the necessary paperwork (such as benefits documentation, signed resignation, NDA agreements, etc.) on top of managing the team response and monitoring morale. Without a clear process in place, it’s easy for important steps to fall through the cracks—opening up the company to potential security risks or legal threats, and possibly damaging the relationship with the outgoing employee. An offboarding process makes this transition easier for both parties. Offboarding helps companies:
While offboarding does take extra effort, the reward is worth it. The Aberdeen Group found that companies who invested in a formal offboarding process saw higher employee retention and engagement. Offboarding best practicesThe exact process you follow will differ based on the size of your company, the employee’s position in the company, and the nature of their departure. Use the following checklist and best practices as a guide to create your own custom offboarding program. Note: The offboarding process and timeline will be different for layoffs or terminations. Phase 1: Manage the resignation processWhen an employee tenders their resignation, it’s time for HR to jump in and begin the offboarding process.
Phase 2: Prepare the paperwork
Phase 3: Plan the work handoff processTo ensure a smooth transition and no interruption in production or services, you’ll need to plan a handoff process. Work with the employee and/or their manager to identify what needs to be done.
Phase 4: Create an employee checklistAs you work on the other logistics of exit management, have the employee go through their own final checklist.
Phase 5: Promptly reset accountsWaiting to close down email accounts, change passwords, or revoke access to proprietary platforms and resources leaves the company open to security breaches. It can also create confusion and communication roadblocks. Work with IT to promptly reset the employee’s accounts, including:
Phase 6: Tie it all upThe offboarding process can be complex and dry. But don’t forget that at the end of the day, you are managing a relationship with another person. Make your last impression a good one by treating the employee with respect and demonstrating how much you value their contribution to the company during their tenure. As appropriate, consider:
Streamline your offboarding process with LucidchartImplementing a documented offboarding program helps HR teams manage the exit experience consistently and confidently. But keeping your process organized and accessible can be a challenge. Lucidchart can help. Lucidchart is a cloud-based visual workspace that supports HR teams at every step of the offboarding process. Use Lucidchart to create clear and dynamic offboarding process flowcharts for every team and situation. Whether that’s a flowchart listing the IT offboarding checklist, an exit interview script, or company org charts, with Lucidchart, you’ll have a smooth transition every time. |