It may seem petty, but on the employee’s final day, make sure you revoke access to all of your computer systems as well as collecting any cards or keys that give access to your physical property. You may trust that particular employee, but over time, having a bunch of ex-employees with access to company accounts and buildings will create a major security risk.
Mark the Occasion
No matter the circumstances of the departure, organizing some kind of event to thank the person for their service and wish them well is a nice touch. It shows not only the departing employee but all your existing employees that you value their work.
5. Run an Exit Interview
The final thing you need to do before the person leaves is to conduct an exit interview. The mousemingle tips information you glean here can help you to make improvements and reduce the chances of key employees leaving in future. It will also help you to get clearer about the role itself and how you can best hire and work with the person’s replacement.
You’ll want to ask more about the reasons for the resignation. (Yes, we covered that before, but now that the departure is confirmed and the employee is on the way out, they may open up more and give more details.) Ask if anything in particular triggered the decision, and if you or any other managers could have done anything to prevent it.
Ask about how the job was in general: the best parts and the worst, anything that helped or hindered the person from doing their job well. Were the objectives and requirements clear? Were the pay and benefits up to expectations? Did the person have enough training and support?
This exit interview template from Adelphi University is designed for nonprofits, but most of the questions will be useful for any type of business. Use it as a guide, and add your own questions as appropriate.
So far, we’ve dealt with a scenario in which a key employee wants to leave. But what if it’s the other way around? What if you want to fire the person for poor performance?
Many of the steps are the same, especially the later ones such as doing the paperwork, processing payroll and running an exit interview. But there are some differences earlier on.
Specifically, you’ll need to document everything to avoid an unfair dismissal lawsuit. And besides, following a clear process like the one below is good not only for avoiding lawsuits, but also because it gives employees a fair chance to improve and keep their jobs.
Start Informally
The first stage when you spot performance issues is to speak to the employee and explain that they’re not meeting expectations.
In some cases, that may be all that’s needed. The person may genuinely not know that a certain type of behavior is unacceptable, and they may be doing something that was tolerated by a former employer. Simply talking to the employee informally and explaining clearly and firmly what you expect from them can often be enough get things back on track. Or they may not have the training or support to do things the right way, so be sure to ask if they need any kind of help.
Give a Series of Formal Warnings
If the poor performance continues, it’s time to begin disciplinary procedures. This still may not end in firing the person-keep an open mind and give the person a chance to turn things around. Keep asking at every stage whether you can do anything to help them, or whether there’s anything about the way the workplace is set up that is hindering them from doing what’s required of them.