Good offboarding: this is how it can be done

What do good offboarding and happy customers have in common in an online shop? Very much. But in the job as well as in e-commerce, the focus is often on the beginning, not the end of the relationship. That wastes potential.

For onboarding, i.e. the start in the company, there are fixed routines in many places: The technical infrastructure is created and a plan for introducing the relevant topics and processes is drawn up. Often there are also flowers, pens and hoodies with the company logo. The goal: to grow together effectively as quickly as possible in order to be able to work well. In e-commerce, too, the platform looks as pretty as possible when you start, and sweeten the visit with discounts and promotional vouchers.

But the final counterpart , the checkout or offboarding, is usually practiced with significantly less dedication. Wrongly. Because this has great potential to build a good long-term relationship.

Analogous to the customer journey in e-commerce, companies should understand collaboration with people in the company as a people journey. So there are a number of touchpoints that are relevant during the time together, not just the start or the annual meetings. The farewell is also a central touchpoint in the cooperation and should be important to the company for three central reasons.

First, offboarding shows how a company really ticks and what values ​​it really lives. Anyone who sees their employees as an important part of the company’s success should also be concerned with shaping them in an appreciative and constructive manner when they say goodbye. This is the only way to consistently live a mindset.

Second, a good, appreciative farewell also shapes the reputation of the company, for example when evaluating job portals former employees.

And last but not least, a good farewell can in turn lead to a possible future collaboration. For example, a change between employees and customers is perhaps just the prelude to another form of cooperation. Or it is a: n boomerang employee: in who comes back after other job stations.

So what to do if: the employee puts the notice on the table? Two things are particularly important: a good dialogue and appreciation.

In every company, the message conveyed is probably followed by a short conversation , which deals with the reasons for the termination and the remaining time of the cooperation. Administrative matters, such as outstanding vacation days, and central issues at the project and work level should be clarified in good time. In any case, the internal (as well as, if necessary, external) communication of the departure should be discussed. In order to avoid physical and digital corridor radio, the statements and motives should be transparently shared within the company, for example via Slack or other internal communication formats. Here, however, both sides should always be allowed to have their say, this avoids unpleasant questions. And if possible, an answer should also be provided as to what happens next – will the position be filled immediately? Is there an interim solution? This proactive communication prevents uncertainty in the rest of the team and strengthens the employer brand.

Far away from this ad-hoc discussion directly after the termination, a structured discussion between: the employee: n with: the HR manager should follow . However, this should not only be about why – and certainly not about mutual accusations – but rather the question: What could we have done better? Was the salary not appropriate or was the workload different from what you wanted? Was the personal development planned in other directions and we could not fulfill the path?

Ideally, conclusions can be drawn from this for the company organization, such as the frequency of feedback discussions and the design of personnel development plans.

Ultimately, it is also worthwhile to consider how contact can be maintained beyond the period of cooperation with: the employee. A digital alumni group on LinkedIn is helpful, but depending on the size of the company, an alumni club with physical meetings can also be a sensible investment. Because these networks can provide recommendations and orders later, for example if former employees from an agency switch to the company side and have orders to be placed.

The potential of alumni network effects should not be underestimated, especially in young companies with correspondingly young employees who still have a lot of working hours ahead of them. They can become the decisive link for a lifelong relationship between the company and former employees.

So that good offboarding is possible, value should of course also be placed on equal terms during the cooperation. Keyword people journey. So there is no rude awakening, because in previous discussions with: the superior: n it was already made clear where there are opportunities for improvement or why the: the employee would like to develop elsewhere. Once this level of trust is established, offboarding will also be less difficult.

Stefan Luther

Stefan Luther is the managing director of Etribes, one of the leading digital consultancies in Germany, and an expert in digital brand management with a focus on e-commerce. He has already helped shape e-commerce projects for traditional companies.