The prospect of new employees joining a company is always exciting and full of promise, but letting go of good employees is often unfortunate.

Companies must learn the value of providing a proper goodbye, whether the employee resigned, was terminated, had their contract end, or retired. A positive offboarding experience should be valued just as much as a positive onboarding experience.

The difference between onboarding and offboarding

Once workers accept a job offer and get hired, they often undergo employee onboarding from the Human Resources department. Here, HR provides new employees with an orientation that covers their job description, the benefits they will receive, and the details of the company's structure, culture, mission, vision, and values.

When employees leave a company, a similar process occurs. This process is called offboarding and involves a formal separation between the company and employees through termination, resignation, or retirement.

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Offboarding often includes transferring the employee's knowledge to their successor or handing over documents for easy tracking, revoking access to systems, completing the final pay process, performing an exit interview, and providing letters of reference and exiting documentation.

Why employee offboarding is important

Both employee onboarding and offboarding are essential HR core activities that support workers when they join and leave a company. Effective onboarding ensures that your company and employees are on the same page. Meanwhile, effective offboarding ensures there are no loose ends when workers leave the company.

Below are reasons why employee offboarding is just as important as employee onboarding.

Maintain a good relationship with departing employees. Treat your departing employees with respect by talking to them about their performance and contributions to the company. Consider pointing out their specific abilities and talent, which will help them shine in their new position. This way, you can earn advocates for your company who will provide positive feedback about your policies.

Communicate departure conditions. A formal offboarding process will ensure clear communication on the worker's departure terms and help them keep an organised paper trail. This process is vital if the employee is leaving due to termination.

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Gather valuable insights from departing employees. Whether employees leave because of new opportunities or performance issues, receiving feedback through an exit interview or survey is essential. This process will help you gain valuable insights into your company's policies. Have an open and honest discussion with your exiting employees to gather insights into the company's weak spots. Their answers might even reveal issues in the workplace that are unknown to you.

The process of employee offboarding is just as important as a positive onboarding experience. Leave a lasting impression by treating your exiting employees with respect.