4 Steps to Take When an Employee Resigns

From time to time, employees will leave a company. There are a number of reasons why a person might leave – dissatisfaction with the job, finding a better opportunity elsewhere, a desire to try something different, and so on.

Whatever the reason, employers need to have a routine in place for handling resignations. There are several steps that need to be taken.

Get the resignation in writing.

This will help with record-keeping, as well as verification of resignation date should any legal or other issues arise.

Determine how to handle the notice period.

The amount of time between giving notice and leaving is often stipulated when a person takes a job, in the employment contract or as part of the company rules and regulations. One thing you need to decide is whether you want the employee to work for the full notice period or not.

Put together a plan for the transition.

You also need to find out what the employee is working on. This will help with making decisions as to how to handle the person’s current projects and assignments. You can work out with the individual what he or she should work on before leaving, and what work can be reassigned to other people.

You and the employee should work together to make a list of all of the assignments or projects that the person is working on. The list should be as inclusive as possible so that you have a good idea of what the employee is doing. Working from the list, you and your employee can then decide what the individual should work to finish up before he or she leaves.

Having a list also will help after the employee leaves, when you will have to make decisions about how to handle the work. The employer will know how urgent the need is, or if the work can temporarily be reassigned to people already at the company.

Conduct an exit interview.

Some employers skip this particular task, but you really shouldn’t because an exit interview can be a valuable source of information. You can find out why the employee wants to leave, and whether it is a problem that needs to be addressed. The employee can often give very useful suggestions on how to improve the operation of the company.

If you’re an insurance company and one of your key employees has just left, contact the recruiters at Insurance Relief™ to help you find a temporary replacement quickly, or to source and vet a direct-hire. Contact us today.