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HR professionals often talk about the importance of onboarding employees. And it’s true. Onboarding is an important activity that sets new hires up for success. 

One of the great things about having a structured onboarding program is that it can provide the basis for developing an offboarding program. There are so many things that organizations and employees need to do when someone is leaving … and we’re not just talking about wrapping up projects and finding their replacement. 

Employee offboarding also includes conversations about COBRA coverage, 401(k) rollovers, and final paychecks. We need to discuss exit interviews and possibly talk about returning computer equipment, keys, and ID badges. 

Organizations can use their onboarding guides as a reminder of those things that need to be discussed and collected. This ensures the exiting employee gets all the information they need. And that the organization gets all the things theyneed too. If you’re looking for some information on how to review and formalize your offboarding process, here are a couple of articles to get you started.

Offboarding: 5 Steps for Building a Policy

There’s no question that employee onboarding is an important activity. Employee offboarding is equally important. Employees will always remember the way they were treated when they were leaving the company. In fact, that last memory could be the one they share with potential applicants, current employees, and future customers. It makes good business sense to allow employees to leave the organization with respect.

The 4 Phases of an Offboarding Program

Offboarding is an important step in the employee life cycle. Organizations can’t afford to ignore it. In a competitive labor market, we have to consider that exiting employees might be potential rehires. And that means we need to think about exiting employees as future candidates. And the way employees are treated as they leave the organization speaks volumes about the company brand. 

We often say that people remember first impressions. Employees remember how they were greeted on their first day of work. Well, people also remember the way they leave an organization. It takes a little thought and planning but a good offboarding process is well worth the time and resources spent.

Organizations really can’t afford to alienate employees as they’re leaving. Former employees might want to return. Or the company might want them to return. They can refer other employees and customers. Creating an employee offboarding process that is informative and respectful is the key to success.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Gainesville, FL
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27/03/2025 – 12:02 /Sharlyn Lauby
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