Beyond “You’re Fired!” – Understanding the Employee Off-Boarding Process

By jamie | May 3, 2010 | BPM, Solutions

If you watch “The Apprentice”, then you’re familiar with Donald Trump’s terrible off-boarding process.  With his signature phrase, “You’re fired!”, he sends apprentice-wannabes on their way.  The ex-apprentice then exits the boardroom, grabs his/her rolling suitcase, takes the elevator down to the lobby, and hops in a waiting taxi to be whisked away. But in real life, the employee off-boarding process is not early so simple.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been exploring a number of key human resources workflows, including the hiring process, employee on-boarding process, performance review process, and leave of absence process. The employee off-boarding process completes this series, as it consists of the final steps an employee participates in when leaving a company.

In a nutshell, the employee off-boarding process essentially undoes the tasks of the employee on-boarding process. While the on-boarding and off-boarding processes are related; however, the off-boarding process is unique in that it can be very difficult for everyone involved, especially if the employee has been let go or terminated.

The off-boarding process prepares employees for their departure from the company by completing important closing tasks, including conducting exit interviews, deleting login credentials, returning company property, ensuring that employees receive the appropriate extended benefits, etc. The off-boarding process can be an important part of making sure an ex-employee feels positively about her experience at the company, regardless of the circumstances of her departure.

In addition to making sure the employee is prepared to depart the company, the off-boarding process also ensures that the company receives the appropriate information and materials from the employee before her departure. This can help protect the company and mitigate any risks inherent in the off-boarding process. Furthermore, the off-boarding process is an opportunity for the company to learn from the departing employee, and take action based on any enlightening information gleaned from the employee during the exit interview.