I don’t often write much about my “day job” on this blog, but today is a little different.

Today was the last day for a person on my team – she is relocating out of state for a new job opportunity. We certainly wish her the best!

Even though we’re happy for her opportunity, this exercise in the Employment Circle of Life leaves an obvious gap on our team that we’re looking to fill. This is where the offboarding process has a clear tie to the onboarding process, even if the exiting employee and the incumbent never meet.

Many organizations treat resignations as a transaction; bringing in HR to facilitate an exit interview or maybe launch an exit survey, and sending the employee on his/her merry way, mindlessly fulfilling the obligatory two-week notice…basically counting the minutes until s/he can begin the new opportunity. As managers, however, we need to see the resignation process as an opportunity to transition projects, tasks and responsibilities, while capturing the valuable, legacy knowledge the exiting employee possesses before it walks out the door.

Managers, this is a powerful learning opportunity for you, and a key piece of the onboarding puzzle for the new employee who will soon join your team.

How can you harness offboarding to help prepare for a new employee? Here are 3 simple tips:

1. Provide resources and job aids.

If the exiting employee has accumulated a collection of helpful links, job aids, checklists or other resources, gather them and provide them to the new employee. Often, the best tools are the ones that are stumbled upon over time, not just the ones included in the standard orientation or new hire training period. Ask the exiting employee to answer this question: “I wish someone had told me _____________ when I started in my role.” — and share that information.

2. Identify the go-to people.

Ask your exiting employee who the go-to people are for various tasks. Make a note of it. As your new employee joins the team, introduce him/her to those key individuals. Be the connector, and be clear about how they will work together.

3. Recognize the differences.

Your yet-to-be-hired employee is a different person, with different strengths, experiences and behaviors than your exiting employee. As you transition projects and tasks, realize that the person who will fill the role will not be an identical replacement. Sometimes, it may make sense to not transition everything exactly as it was done before. As the new employee joins the team, provide guidance and resources, but allow for individuality and his/her own way of working and adding value.

 

There is much more to onboarding than simply hiring and training a new employee. It requires time and attention to successfully navigate this transition (and yes, I know the clock is ticking when an employee puts in his/her resignation!). As you manage the offboarding process, be mindful of your soon-to-be-hired employee’s needs and proactively plan for his/her onboarding.

Your turn: Managers, how do you offboard an employee…and how does it impact the onboarding process in your organization? Please share your thoughts, tips and strategies in the comments!

 

Know of a manager who would benefit from this post? Be kind and share it!

 

Bring phase(two)learning to your organization!

The calendar is filling fast! Only a few dates left for the Onboarding Rules for Hiring Managers workshop! In this interactive workshop, participants will discover the hiring manager’s critical role in the onboarding process, create an action plan to utilize when bringing a new employee to the team and walk away with helpful tips, tools and resources. Partial and full-day sessions are available. Contact phase(two)learning today to learn more!