Everyone knows that moment when you’ve been working for a company for quite long, got used to the responsibilities and internal jokes, but there’s time to move on. And you start thinking about how to take the graceful exit.
Regardless of the reasons, making your resignation as much professional as possible will help you to use the network сonnections, get great recommendations for future working place, and maintain your reputation. If you are leaving for a new place, it may seem unnecessary, but in such unstable times, you never know when you will need to utilize these resources.
While sorting out the payroll issues and signing in a resignation email may be obvious, the tips below will help you to leave a great impression about your professional etiquette:
Forward your responsibilities correctly
Make sure to gather all the information about the projects you are working with, to-do lists, some trivia (i.e not to call certain clients in the morning), and upcoming deadlines that you will not be able to sort out. You can even set the task board on Trello or Basecamp with this info. So that your successor does not feel lost during the onboarding period. Don’t hesitate to include extra details even if they may seem self-explanatory. Not everything may seem obvious to a new person.
Here’s an example of how the project description may look like:
If possible, set up a meeting with your successor to discuss your responsibilities if some of them are not documented in the position profile. Also, arrange a short call with your clients or partners prior to leaving to inform them about your leave and introduce your successor to them. It will serve as an icebreaker and it will be easier for a new person to adapt to a new role.
Don’t forget to say Goodbye
Even if it’s hard to leave, take time to say goodbye to your colleagues, thank them for interesting chats during coffee breaks, inspirations, and support in your projects. Farewell emails with gratitude and a longer stay in the office kitchen on your last day is a real sign of ending your career in the company on good terms. You can even research party ideas and themes to arrange the farewell party and make your leave remembered for a long time.
Prepare for the exit interview
Before entering the exit interview, thoroughly think about what you want to say. Usually, such meetings are designed to find out more about the true reasons for leaving, measure job satisfaction rate, and collect feedback on working conditions that can be improved. So leave your emotions behind and be honest about your work experience. Sometimes, organizations are not even aware of issues that may detract their customers and employees. Try to be objective in your arguments and along with describing potential fixes to them. Constructive negative feedback is one of the key drivers for processes improvement in the company, so sharing your thoughts may result in making this company a better place, and who knows maybe you’ll want to come back one day.
You never know how life turns out, as it may happen that you will have to work with your ex-boss or colleagues under new consequences, so stay a true professional no matter where you are.