Why is this?
Your employer brand reflects the employee experience (EX) and encompasses everything within an employment journey, from the first impression to the last goodbye. It is, by definition, how an organisation promotes itself to attract, recruit and retain desirable professionals, and relates to popularity and reputation from the perspective of former, existing and prospective employees. It’s about being an “employer of choice”. So, when an employer brand is strong, an organisation can withstand a negative experience and bounce back quicker.
In relation to offboarding, employees that have been treated poorly on their way out the door can wreak havoc on your organisation’s reputation. With just one bad review on Glassdoor, LinkedIn or Facebook, etc. your organisation’s ability to attract and retain talent can be shot. In fact, a Glassdoor survey found that 70% of job seekers look to reviews before they make career decisions.
On a bigger scale, strengthening the employer brand through tough times (e.g. COVID-19) will build resilience, convey organisational health, and allow your organisation to scale more quickly once a sense of “normal” is restored. This will aid your retention and talent acquisition efforts in the future.
So, how do you ensure the offboarding process presents a positive employer brand?
First, let’s look at the 10-steps of offboarding:
- Communicate the employees’ departure to the team
- Transfer the employee’s knowledge to their successor, or at least document this knowledge for easy access down the track
- Recover company assets (mobile phones, laptops, equipment)
- Update your org charts and company directory
- Revoke systems access
- Complete the final pay process
- Perform an exit survey or interview
- Provide letters of reference and exiting documentation
- Thank the exiting employee and make sure they feel appreciated for their contribution
- Engage the former employee in an alumni groupThe above steps are a helpful guide to creating an offboarding process that positions your organisation as organised, considerate, diligent and professional – traits that people want in an employer. However, there are some scenarios where not all 10 steps will be necessary – check out our blog on how and why to personalise the offboarding experience here.
Following these steps will ensure an employee’s exit is a smooth and positive experience, meaning they are less likely to spread negative messaging about your organisation later down the line. And, from a compliance perspective, exit interviews are a good way to uncover any unfavourable matters before termination, such as discrimination, workplace harassment, etc., lessening the risk that reputation-damaging legal action will take place in the future.
Another reason to protect and nurture the employer brand during the offboarding process is because it increases the chance of “boomerang employees” – employees who return the organisation after a period spent elsewhere. Such employees are valuable as they can share positive sentiment and a wealth of knowledge.
Your offboarding process is your final chance to give a positive lasting impression – it’s an opportunity to demonstrate the great things about the organisation and to set right any wrongs. The desired outcome is that your departing employees remember all the good times they had with you – meaning they’ll be more likely to say positive things about the organisation. After all, people trust word of mouth, and often a positive recommendation about a company – from an existing or past employee – can be better than complex and costly marketing efforts!
ELMO Software offers people, pay and process solutions for the entire employee lifecycle, from ‘hire to retire’. This includes recruitment, learning, performance management, payroll, rostering / time & attendance, expense management, and more. For further information, contact us.