Offboarding of staff members
When employees leave the organisation, there are a number of important steps to follow to ensure a smooth transition. On the one hand, the legal requirements governing departure from the organisation must be taken into account. On the other hand, it is important to preserve the institutional knowledge of the departing employee within the department and make it available to colleagues or successors.
A structured offboarding process is beneficial both for the organisation’s reputation and for treating employees who are leaving their respective departments with respect. The following steps are intended to provide guidance on how you, as a manager, can support your employees as they leave the organisation.
Planning for an employee’s departure should be addressed in good time – ideally six months before the end of their employment contract.
The imminent departure of staff members should be clearly communicated to everyone in the team, on relevant projects, etc., so that the necessary handover processes can be initiated.
It must be ensured that employees leaving the organisation return all work equipment owned by the university, including keys, access cards, etc.
A checklist provided by the Human Resources department (see below, ‘Departure of employees – legal basis’) is available to assist with this.
The transfer of institutionalised knowledge, information on the working group’s and the institute’s procedures and processes, and details on the delivery of courses, etc., must be documented and made available to future staff.
An exit interview demonstrates appreciation and provides an opportunity to give feedback that is vital both for the manager themselves and for the university as a whole.