Having worked in large organisations such as Ernst & Young, BDO and now at Attune Flex Jobs. I have come across varying ways employees have left the firm which has taught me why leaving your job with dignity and integrity is so important and leaving a post-it-note on your bosses laptop is not one of them!
7 tips on how to quit the right way
Here are 7 tips to ensure your last few weeks or months in the job make the right lasting impression:
- Resign with good grace
The best way is to always resign face to face even if you work flexibly or part-time. If your manager/s are truly not available then pick up the telephone. Follow it up with a properly constructed resignation email or letter to your manager and HR. You do not need to state why you are leaving and I recommend keeping it professional. - Be respectful of your notice period
This will be in your terms and conditions. You may want to leave early so you can discuss this with your manager and negotiate an earlier leaving date. However, this is not always possible and where bad feeling may start. It may take your current employer a few months to replace you and then the person they are recruiting has their own notice period, so accept this with good grace and always assume in the first instance you will have to complete the full period. - Don’t slack off and leave loose ends
You may be leaving but everyone else is staying. You will be expected to finish current projects and to continue working your set hours, just because you are leaving, it is not an excuse to start coming in late and leaving early. Organise handovers and / or fully brief your replacement so everything is left in good working order. Also, start taking home your large selection of shoes (or your equivalent!) that you have under your desk / in your desk draw. - Don’t be too honest
If you are leaving because you are unhappy, beware of being too honest. It is very possible you will be asked to complete an exit interview and obviously you can provide constructive criticism and observations. But it does not need to be personal: colleagues left behind may feel resentful or will not want to hear all your negativity about a job they enjoy. Even more important, don’t rant on social media – you can have your own personal rant but choose your audience wisely. - Be mindful of those you are leaving behind
You will be excited about your new role and that is to be expected. You can’t stop that, but you can stop bragging about your new and exciting role or being negative about your current role or company. You never know what contacts you may come to need again in future. - Be patient
Time may drag. You want to leave because you are excited about your new job and are counting down the days. We have all been there but focus on finishing the job or project in hand, and supporting others in the team. You might find as your work load decreases because you are not taking on new projects or work, you can learn new skills as you help others out in the department. Quite often people in your new role will know colleagues and managers in your current role – you do not want them to hear you are behaving badly. - Keep in touch
This is something we always forget. There are obviously colleagues you will definitely want to stay in touch with and will meet up for drinks etc when you have left. But there are also colleagues that you will want to stay in touch with because they are an expert in their field and you may be able to refer work and vice versa – what better way when you already know each other and know how good you both are. Or there may be opportunities for mentoring, networking and career advancement. LinkedIn is good for this.
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