Ask HN: What are great examples of companies handling employees leaving?
Let's focus on voluntary departure right now. Someone is taking a different job, how do best in class companies annouce this, support this etc?
People get told a few hours ahead (internal eMail) where the short presentation is. Line manager says a few words, hands over card and present. If they've been there quite a while, someone bigger than the line manager may also say some words. Leaver says a few words, everyone claps. Leaver says when they will be in the pub (repeated in leaver's final internal eMail to the department) and leaver buys the first drink for everyone who turns up.
That's how it's been in every company I've left. It's pretty much the UK standard. It's near perfect; everyone knows exactly what's expected and how it will work. No uncertainty, no mistakes, opportunity to chuck in a few pounds or not.
Each company does have it's (good) bits extra here and there in recognition of dedication and accomplishments (as much as gaffes and celebrate failures/lessons learned). For remote workers we actually ship farewell card with quick turn-around, on company mail, to ensure everyone can get a few nice words in writing.
Cheers :)
1. Focus on transition asap. Give the leaving employee plenty of time to document knowledge.
2. Make sure to treat all parties involved with respect.
3. Have an exit interview with the founder where you can give final feedback (with the understanding that it may be ignored).
4. Treat everyone like you might work with them again.
Let my manager know, beginning of the 2nd year that I would like to transition out and my reasons for leaving. One thing the manager made me clarify is that if I was going to be working for competition. In that case, he felt it wouldn't be wise to have an extended transition. (I was not and considering starting my own startup)
He let me keep my sign on bonus (clue: enough to buy a model-3 Tesla) that I was supposed to pay back if I left before end of 3 years and I agreed to stay until end of 2nd year so that we could have a smooth transition and handover.
The departure was only announced to the wider team, 2 months prior to actual departure.
Allowed the company to have a non-disruptive transition, know exactly why someone was leaving (not some bulls*t reasons) and me to validate and get started on my company right after I left.
Of course, I had a going away party and the good folks even pooled some Swiss francs to put towards my startup too :-).
The more notice an employer has of an employee quitting, the smoother the transition will typically be. If employees feel safe giving notice, they will not feel like they have to wait until the standard 2 weeks to give notice.
One step further - really good companies (and managers) will make employees feel comfortable being open about being READY to leave (i.e. they are looking for a job or to go back to school or whatever). That gives the company even MORE time to plan. If an employee feels like they can say this before they have a job in hand, then they are more likely to be open about it.
I've searched for the article of the years, but never could find it.
Anyone know the piece I'm talking about?
Now you might think hey.. that is an exit interview. But exit interviews are formal form filling exercised done by a HR person that may or may not have a positive effect and there is not much incentive to be brutally honest. In fact the opposite.