While preparing for talks and events in 2019, our friends at Rezoomo.com were surprised by the lack of literature and even technology available on the subject of ‘offboarding’. So they decided to shed a little light on this often ignored practice, ahead of their talk at our Recruitment Technology Conference. Jim Berrisford, Global Head of Engagement & Parnerships at Rezoomo, takes over…
There’s no disputing the fact that we, in the HR community are all about candidate experience. But is it possible that we’ve been overlooking this pivotal stage in the recruitment process?
Every day and everywhere around the world, employees leave organisations for a myriad of different reasons. And of course, their end to end employment experience will vary from company to company. Some employers however, will choose to interpret an employee’s decision to leave as the termination of their relationship. They become indifferent to the employee and their feelings because they no longer wish to be affiliated with their business. But let’s stop and think about this for a second; is that fair? Or morality aside, is it good business?
If you have ever been the victim of a poor offboarding experience, you know it can hurt. You have invested time, energy and enthusiasm in a company only to be met with hostility or indifference when you decide to move on. Even if it is unintentional (e.g. you have no process in place to deal with offboarding) the end result can be a good employee (and future referral) slipping away quietly into the night, feeling totally dejected and unappreciated.
According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics there is an average monthly quit rate of about 2%. That being said, we simply cannot afford to neglect this part of the employee life cycle. After all, a bad offboarding experience can come back to haunt you and put a huge dent in your bottom line.
If an employee decides to leave your company, and is not treated in a solicitous manner; would you expect your employer brand to suffer? Yes, I think most of us would agree that not only could it have a huge impact on your brand but also your ability to attract future talent.
We’ve all heard of the saying what comes around goes around. Employees that leave with a bad taste in their mouth are more likely to air their grievances on social media, leaving your company’s reputation tarnished in a few simple key strokes. While in some cases people have genuine cause for complaint, with a given employer, a poor offboarding experience can only exasperate the issue.
There are lots of ways to improve your offboarding. Even small gestures like organizing a leaving lunch, conducting exit interviews and offering outplacement services can go a long way in terms of supportively seeing an employee through to the next stage in their career.
The reality is that poor offboarding practices can ultimately impact your onboarding efforts. Why would candidates want to apply to a company that doesn’t treat employees with compassion? Peoples experience with you and your company does not and should not stop when they leave. Your past employees can be your best ambassadors, if you simply conclude their working relationship with your business in a manner that is dignified, considered and befitting of their time with you.
Rezoomo.com is a Talent Attraction Hub. We enable companies to attract, engage and manage candidates, throughout the recruitment process, using one comprehensive and cost-effective solution.
