Your quick guide to creating an offboarding plan [incl. template]

Tiia Tirkkonen

9 mins read

What is employee offboarding and why is it important?

If the employee onboarding process is designed to get a new hire acquainted with your company and settled into their role, the main goal of employee offboarding is to help employees leave your company and make sure that the team can run smoothly once they’re gone.

A successful offboarding procedure has the added benefit of educating your organization on why people are leaving, as well as what employees like and dislike about working there.

Employee offboarding can be defined as the procedure required to transition a departing employee when they leave a company. During this process, the employee and their manager go through a series of measures to ensure that the employee leaves the company amicably, and that the team can function successfully in their absence.

Steps in the offboarding process can include delegating previously handled responsibilities, conducting an exit interview, training a new team member, and fulfilling HR requirements such as returning office equipment.

Template: The must-haves of an employee offboarding plan

The offboarding process should also make the departing employee feel valued and respected. This will be their last interaction with your organization, so you’ll want them to leave full of positives. This might encourage them to recommend future employees, or even your company’s products and services.

Here are some things you should include in your employee offboarding process to make it a success:

1. Notice periods per country

Employee notice periods differ across the world. They will be outlined in the employment contract, with some as short as one or two weeks, and others up to two months. Longer notice periods usually apply for senior or C-level positions, and shorter notice periods for entry-level jobs. Managing Directors and Senior Managers may also be required to find a replacement during the offboarding process.

In some countries, the notice period is dependent upon how long you have been in employment. In Finland, for instance, there is a notice period of 14 days if the employment has lasted for less than a year; one month if the employment period is between one and four years; two months for four to eight years; and six months if the employment has lasted more than 12 years.

2. How to communicate about the departure

Telling your boss that you’re leaving can be a daunting prospect at first, so it’s a good idea to include some tips on how your employees can communicate their departure:

• Set up a one-on-one meeting or call
• Be clear about your reasons for leaving
• Express gratitude and share positives

3. Final weeks at the company

When an employee is leaving your company, your main goal should be making sure that the team can run effectively and smoothly in their absence. This includes supporting the new hire in their new role and ensuring that the departing employee documents and shares key knowledge with the team. This process is called knowledge transfer.

Examples of documentation and handover include:

• Daily tasks, including hours required and ranking by importance level
• Resources to help other team members execute the departing employee’s responsibilities

4. Scheduling the exit interview

Besides the knowledge transfer plan, the exit interview is probably one of the most valuable things you can do during the employee offboarding process. It can help departing employees leave on good terms, and even turn them into company ambassadors. Here are some topics to discuss in the interview:

• Salary, benefits and other HR processes
• The role and responsibilities
• Leadership and management
• General improvement points

5. Employee offboarding survey

Next to the exit interview, an employee offboarding survey is a valuable opportunity to learn more about the employee’s main motivation for leaving. Consider asking the following questions:

• How easy was it to get the resources needed to do your job effectively?
• How much room for professional growth did you have at this company?

6. Returning company property

When an employee leaves your organization, you need to make sure that they return any company property that they have in their possession. Common company property items include:

• Laptop
• Phone
• Office key

7. Benefits that outlast the employment

Departing employees may be eligible for different benefits once their employment contract is over. In some cases, employees are entitled to benefits by law, such as severance payments.

8. HR contact after employment has ended

After the employment has ended, departing employees may need to get back in touch with your organization for HR-related matters. Providing them with the contact details of a few HR staff members is advisable.

9. Ask for a Glassdoor review

The final few weeks of employment is a convenient time to ask the employee to submit a review on Glassdoor or another employee review site. Make sure the departing employee knows that leaving a review is voluntary and anonymous.

10. Alumni events

If your organization organizes alumni meetups and gatherings, make sure you share how company alumni can stay up to date on the latest events.