Organizations often invest heavily in creating a compelling journey for employees during the pre-employment and active employment stages. However, many overlook the final phase; supporting their employees as they transition to new chapters.

According to Gallup’s report on improving the employee experience, only 45% of employees express satisfaction with how their organization managed their exit process, while a mere 24% report being extremely satisfied (Gallup, 2020). A healthy workplace culture genuinely values keeping what’s best for its employees at the core of every action, even when that means saying goodbyes. Emotions may naturally arise during both voluntary and involuntary terminations, but how an organization handles these farewells sends a powerful, lasting message not only to the departing employee but also to current employees. A thoughtful offboarding process can reinforce respect, trust, and psychological safety across the company.

Here are some key components of a positive offboarding experience:

• Clear Communication: Clearly outline timelines and final responsibilities to help the process flow smoothly. Important logistical tasks include returning company property, discussing open projects, final paychecks, and conducting exit interviews. Setting clear expectations will help the employee feel respected, informed, and supported during their transition.
• Knowledge Transfer: Organize a structured knowledge transfer process that includes documenting project status updates and host meetings with current team members to prepare for transitions. This helps capture valuable insights from the departing employee and keeps the team moving forward with minimal disruption, even within a short notice period.
• Exit Interviews: Harvard Business Review reports that turnover can cost up to 200% of an employee’s annual salary (Sull, Sull, & Zweig, 2017). With statistics like that, retaining current employees is essential because of the money loss that impacts revenue resulting from turnover. The only way to improve is to collect feedback on why people are exiting the organization. Use exit interviews as an opportunity to gather honest feedback that can help improve workplace culture and employee retention.
• Support: One often overlooked aspect of offboarding is providing emotional support. Offboarding should encompass not only logistical aspects but also empathy and understanding, particularly if the departure is involuntary. Offering this kind of support fosters goodwill and leaves a lasting positive impression.  

To illustrate the impact of support during offboarding, consider this real-life scenario: Here at The Encompass Group, we strive to provide ‘The Encompass Experience’ both internally and externally with a strong focus on people development (we are, after all, in the people business!). We have had a few offboarding experiences that were particularly impactful, especially with employees moving on to new life chapters. In one instance, we all gathered around a departing team member to celebrate their next step, each of us sharing a word (or maybe a few) that described them. I remember how appreciated and valued the exiting employee felt, but I also recall how I felt, as a current employee, being part of such a supportive environment. Taking this moment to honor them as an individual allowed us to offer genuine words of encouragement and support as they embarked on a new journey, often filled with a mix of excitement and nerves. Such a sendoff fosters psychological safety and reinforces trust throughout the organization, easing any concerns for both departing and current employees, and even those contemplating similar paths.

Ultimately, our role as employers extends beyond active employment; we are committed to supporting individuals’ growth at personal, professional, and organizational levels. By demonstrating genuine support during offboarding, we reinforce trust, boost morale, and strengthen our workplace culture. If you have any questions or would like assistance in developing exit interview surveys or want to discuss further, Encompass is always here for you! Please reach out to your Client Experience Manager or Human Capital Consultant for more information. If you are not yet an Encompass client, please reach out to us here or fill out the form below.

References:

Gallup. (2020). Employee experience and workplace culture. Gallup. Retrieved from https://www.gallup.com/workplace/323573/employee-experience-and-workplace-culture.aspx

Sull, D., Sull, C., & Zweig, B. (2017). How to improve the engagement and retention of young hourly workers. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2017/12/how-to-improve-the-engagement-and-retention-of-young-hourly-workers

Written by Brittany Durocher, Human Capital Consultant at The Encompass Group.