How to Leave a Company on Good Terms

Sometimes, when people decide that it’s time to move on from their current job, they can become worried about leaving on good terms. When considering your professional network and possible future opportunities, it’s always a good idea to hand in your resignation in the most appropriate way as possible. It’s also important to make sure you let your team know and still work to your best ability during your notice period. There are plenty of things you can be doing to ensure that you leave your job on good terms and sometimes, the excitement of a new job can get in the way of some of them. We have some useful tips to make sure you leave your job on the best terms possible, even if your reasons for leaving aren’t so positive.

Understanding why

If you’ve decided to start looking for a new role, you probably already know why you want to leave your current work situation. For example, you may not feel valued at the company, you may feel like you have learnt all you can, or you may even be moving away. There are plenty of reasons and we all have our own, but whether it be positive or negative, you should still conduct yourself in a professional manner.

A lot of companies will have leaving interviews, to understand more about why you are leaving and other important things like handover notes. It’s important to let them know why you have decided to move on, but make sure you are being polite about it. Just because it hasn’t worked out this time, doesn’t mean this specific company won’t have opportunities in the future that may interest you. Ultimately, it’s a small world out there and if you’ve decided to move on in the same industry, you never know when you might need certain contacts again (or when you’ll run into them).

Understanding your notice period

It’s important that you give your employer the amount of notice you agreed on when you started the role. This information is likely to be in your contract, or if you don’t know, it’s always best to check the with HR department. It’s also always a good idea to tell your line manager that you’re leaving before anyone else in the workplace. You don’t want them hearing it from someone else before you get the chance to say something.

Once you’re in your notice period, you should act the same as before. Do your work to the ability you know you are capable of and you need to continue to maintain professionalism with all of your colleagues. It takes hard work to build up a good reputation in the workplace, but seconds to destroy it, so think about this. Act how you want to be remembered and if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to keep in contact with your colleagues / friends you have made, long after you leave.

For more advice on your notice period and how to make the most of it, click here to be redirected to Engineering and Technology Jobs for the full article.

Etiquette

As usual, the best way to leave a good impression is by expressing good manners. Do you have a replacement already? Make sure you do your best to train them well and make sure that they have everything they may need before you leave the position. If you don’t have experience in training others, just give them helpful tips and hints that will enable the transition to work well for your company. Handover notes are always a good idea as well, so take time working on these, it will be highly appreciated long after you have gone.

Don’t leave a mess behind, remember someone else will be getting your desk / work area! When you leave, check unnecessary files are shredded or disposed of, organisers have been sorted and any digital files have been sorted properly and are available for your department to access if need be. (Always good to check with your line manager here and make sure they have everything they may need) Also, people can accumulate a lot of stuff in their desk over the years, so make the effort to take all of this with you or dispose of it.

Take care that any projects you’ve undertaken are well and truly finished. If you can’t finish these tasks in your notice period, then make sure you give some good guidance for when you’ve left. Leaving your job with lots of tasks undone doesn’t give a good indication of your professional etiquette. Again, having notes on these can be a life saver to someone!

Say your goodbyes

You have probably seen or spoken to your team mates every single day since you started the role you are leaving, so take the time to say goodbye. Let them know you are leaving when your line manager knows and talk to them about it! Although they may not want to hear about it every single day until you eventually leave, the likelihood is, they are happy for you. If you think it is appropriate, share details and try to stay in touch. (This is not for everyone, but sometimes just connecting on Linkedin is enough).

Usually once we find a new job, excitement gets in the way and we tend to focus on the future rather than the present. However, tying up loose ends and ensuring your treat everyone with the respect they deserve, can leave an everlasting positive impression. Don’t let this get in the way of future opportunities, follow company rules and act professional.