Whether it be the traditional HR systems or new-age cloud computing solutions, employee offboarding is yet to be given ample significance as the onboarding process. Yes, it is true that employee onboarding is more exciting and delivers far superior value when the right resource is hired and utilized. However, organizations must give vital importance to the offboarding process of employees as well.

This draft provides a free checklist that will help you proceed with the employee offboarding process. All tasks can be managed with efficient HR software, delivering a streamlined flow for the operations related to the departure of human capital from the organization.

Explaining the Significance of Employee Offboarding

It’s a fact that many HR professionals and managing authorities do not understand the relevance of having an exclusive employee offboarding process in place. A well-constructed procedure with consistent workflow in this department is going to boost your organization’s credentials.

The offboarding of an employee or company resource may be due to multiple factors like resignation, dismissal, retirement, or other voluntary reasons. Rather than the cause of offboarding, it’s the effect that matters more from an organizational perspective. And the best way to promote this is an automated process that works for the machine in one excellent workflow.

Employee offboarding is the time when the HR department can get free and valuable resource feedback with no restraints. It could prove to be beneficial to the organization for future recruitment activities. Work and equipment handover will happen during this phase. Another vital factor about this stage is the knowledge handover from senior professionals to the newbies that can help them adapt to the organization easily.

10 Essential Steps in the Employee Offboarding Process

To help you better understand the core functions of employee offboarding and manage the process well, we enlist ten relevant steps in order.

  • Communication
    The primary step in carrying out an employee offboarding process with a well-executed structure is communication. This includes proper communication from HR to the employee regarding the offboarding and discussions within the organization related to the subject. Effective written and verbal communication will keep the entire offboarding process professional and clean.
  • Gratitude
    Express gratitude to the employee for all his services and efforts. Thankfulness shouldn’t be just limited to the services offered, but it should extend to the person’s overall being in the organization. This would amount to all personal and professional aspects of the resource in your firm.
  • Transfer of Assets
    As part of the employment tenure, the resource personnel may have used some of the company capital. This would involve multiple systems, devices, organization resources, etc. Many companies don’t have an automated offboarding process in place, which could make them miss out on the complete return of assets from the employee, resulting in company loss.
  • Recalling Privileges
    Various privileges and access to portals should be revoked when the employee is quitting the organization. With the assistance of an HR system, it can be easily done, as documentation and database tracking is easy. It would ease the tasks of the HR department and the resigning human capital, keeping all organization information and data confidential and private.
  • Exit Process
    This refers to the complete offboarding process with a focus on documentation procedures. If HR software is managing this system, then all you need to follow is the corresponding templates to arrive at the required drafts. Software and cloud solutions can help remote and hybrid model workers also with a viable exit procedure.
  • Company Updates
    Everything related to an employee’s exit should be communicated, reported, and documented properly in the organization. It would mean the company resources and personnel will have an exact idea regarding an employee’s occupation status in the firm. In mid-level to big-size companies with higher strength, this function in automated format is a blessing.
  • Benefits and Payments
    One of the significant steps in the employee offboarding process is the final settlement of payments and earned benefits. An organization needs to settle this amiably with their employees to earn their continued trust and understanding even after they leave. It is crucial for a company’s long-term planning and goals. SaaS platforms are mandatory to carry settlements out in an optimum way.
  • Farewell Program
    A farewell nowadays doesn’t just mean food treats or decorative events. It implies the relevance of giving a treasured feeling to the exiting employee. It should be about a warm and pleasant experience for the employee to cherish as part of his final days in the organization. The depth of the farewell experience plays a huge role in determining the employee’s continued relationship with the company beyond work.
  • Stay Connected
    Cloud computing solutions will show and record who has been part of your company’s system in the past. Even with new resources in the HR department, it is easy to stay on top of potential personal connections with past employees. This would be rewarding in the long run for small-scale and medium-level companies the most.
  • Personal Support
    Even after closing the professional tenure of an employee, employees can stay personally connected with a company. If the organization is taking the initiative for such personal support measures after an employee exits from the company, it would be a welcome gesture.

Free Checklist: Employee Offboarding Module

Here, we present to you a toolkit for a free employee offboarding checklist to help you gather actionable insights and deliver the best.

  • Permissions and Access – You can use the help of HR software for monitoring, managing, and revoking permissions of an employee in the organization related to system access, various privileges, etc. 
  • Company Assets – Organization assets given to employees during their tenure can be returned to the HR department with the support of an authentic HRMS.
  • Knowledge and Work Handover – Handing over the work resources, in-progress drafts and devices, and knowledge of experience is a vital part of offboarding that can be completed with the help of HR software.
  • Exit Interview – An efficient HR system can assist with the exit interview, one of the best methods to receive employee feedback and genuine constructive criticism for the organization.
  • Documentation and Paperwork – All documents and technicalities related to the exit process can be easily done with the help of the HR management system.
  • Full and Final Settlement – When dealing with offboarding, an automated process can help deliver a final employee settlement procedure with complete benefits.
  • Proper Farewell – A grateful farewell ceremony can work wonders in building your employees’ trust and confidence in you – both offboarding and existing employees.
  • Open Space for Return – An employee’s relationship status with a company that he left should be such that there should always be space for a potential return, with the organization taking initiative steps.

Wrapping Up

Companies don’t have to promote employee offboarding processes within their ranks. But offboarding is inevitably bound to happen at frequent intervals, irrespective of retention rates and employee engagement activities. The optimum feature an organization can follow here is a foolproof offboarding process that will benefit the firm from all angles.