There are many reasons people leave their place of employment. Regardless of if you had a great experience with your employer, or if it was a misery coming to work every day and you can’t wait to leave, there are some things you should and should not do on your way out. Leaving your employer the right way can pay big dividends in the long run.
In this podcast, iMPact owner Matt Peal and Account Manager Steve Betteley discuss how to avoid the common pitfalls of resigning from a company. Listen to all podcast episodes here.
It might be tempting to just tell your boss you’re quitting and to take off. However, how you leave will stay on your employment record and can come back to haunt you later on, so it’s important to leave on good terms both with co-workers and managers.
What to do before you announce your departure
Try not to talk about it with other co-workers as things have a way of getting out. Before making an announcement, make sure your new employment opportunity is 100% secured. This means that all forms have been signed by all parties, there are no outstanding drug tests, etc. It does happen that something falls through at the last minute. Make sure to avoid a situation like that. Once you do make your announcement, it is possible that you may be immediately dismissed, so make sure you’ve saved anything you may need from your work computer and deleted any personal information (photos, co-worker email addresses, samples of work for your portfolio, etc).
Resignation letter
Make sure you have a conversation with your manager in person first to let him or her know about your plans to leave the organization. If an in-person conversation isn’t possible, at least have a phone conversation. After that write a short resignation letter to go on your file. It shouldn’t be long or go into detail, just state that you’ll be leaving and what your last date of employment will be. Your resignation letter will likely be put in your employment file, so keep it short and professional to avoid having it come back to haunt you later.
Give a 2-week notice
Even though you may be anxious to be done with your current employer and move on to the next one, it’s important to handle your exit in a professional manner and give your employer a 2-week notice in case they need to you wrap up loose ends and help prepare your replacement so you don’t leave your position in disarray. It’s possible that the employer will dismiss you immediately, but at least you should do your due diligence on your part.
What feedback should you give your employer
While it may be tempting to unleash on your employer about all the things you’ve been unhappy with; it’s better to take the high road on your way out. If the company wants feedback on how they can improve, they need to solicit that from the employees who are staying there and who may be impacted by any changes. You’re on your way out, so keep it brief and courteous. Everyone can be a potential future reference, so in this situation, less is more. It’s fine to talk about your salary and benefits, but feedback about other managers and employers is best left unsaid. Even though an exit interview should be confidential, word has a way of getting out and the last thing you want to do is burn bridges with people you may encounter in future professional settings or want a reference from.
What to do if a counteroffer is made
If your employer makes a counteroffer to try to convince you to stay, you may want to be wary of considering accepting it. If your employer valued your contributions, they should’ve made that known before you announced that you were leaving. It may also be a temporary tactic from your employer to get you to stay on board a little bit longer while they search for a replacement.
How to tell your co-workers
After you’ve told your boss, which you should do first so they don’t find out through office gossip, you can tell your co-workers. You’ve probably seen others leave the company and how they handled it to know what’s appropriate in your organization. Generally, you’ll want to keep it short without going into details of why you’re leaving. Let them know it’s been a pleasure working with them, your last day of employment, and share your personal contact information in case anyone would like to connect with you. In some organizations, it may not be acceptable to make any kind of broadcast announcement, in which case all communication should be on an individual basis.
Help your replacement
Before you leave, create a comprehensive document outlining all the things you work on with details on how to perform each task. This will help not only your replacement but will also be appreciated by your employers and co-workers and make for a much smoother transition after you leave and while your replacement is getting up to speed. Ask your manager if there’s anything else you can help with before you leave. They may or may not take you up on your offer but will appreciate it being made.
Ask for references
Ask your boss and co-workers if they’d be willing to leave a recommendation on your LinkedIn profile. Although you may already have a new job opportunity lined up, it’s always a good idea to keep your profile up to date and have the reference as a part of your profile for future career endeavors.
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