Respectful Employee Departures

18 months ago, we laid off 70 people. Here’s how it went… We were burning too much. Hired too fast. It was our mistake. And we owned it. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done as a founder. But we tried to do it the right way. We spoke to each of the 70 people, personally. Told them what went wrong, why this decision had to be made, and how we’ll support them. We gave them 3 months’ notice. Helped with referrals, intros, job leads - anything that could help. 67 got placed before the notice period ended. For the 3 who didn’t, we gave 2 months’ extra salary. But look at what’s happening now - Over 120,000 people were laid off this year. And many of them didn’t even get a call. Some found out through a blocked email. Some were just removed from Slack in the middle of the day. That’s inhuman. Yes, layoffs happen. But how you handle them says everything about your culture. I know it’s tough to have these conversations, but this is what you signed up for when you became a founder. If you call someone “family” while hiring them, treat them like family when letting them go too. #HarshRealities

When someone leaves an organization, whether by choice or circumstance, the way we say goodbye matters. Too often, departures are treated as awkward silences or whispered rumors, but as good leaders, we set the tone. How we acknowledge a colleague’s exit speaks volumes about our culture, our respect for people, and our own integrity. Here are a few good leadership best practices I've witnessed over the years: ·  Respect the individual. Whether they resigned or were terminated, they contributed chapters to the story of your organization. Honor that without rewriting history. ·  Be clear, not cryptic. Ambiguity breeds speculation. A simple, dignified statement, “We thank them for their contributions and wish them well,” can prevent gossip from filling the void. ·  Model empathy. Remember that departures affect both the person leaving and those who remain. Acknowledging the emotions in the room helps people feel seen. ·  Protect dignity. Even in difficult circumstances, resist the urge to diminish someone’s reputation. The way you handle exits will be remembered long after the details fade. Leadership isn’t just about welcoming people in, it’s about how we let them go. Every goodbye is a cultural signal. Done well, it leaves behind respect, clarity, and courage. Done poorly, it erodes trust. So the question isn’t just what happens when someone leaves? It’s what story do we tell in how we say goodbye?

"From Red Carpet to Cold Shoulder": Why HR Needs to Elevate Offboarding🚀 As the year wraps up, we see an uptick in resignations. Turnover is natural, but how we handle offboarding speaks volumes about our commitment to people and culture. While we roll out the red carpet for onboarding, exits often get the cold shoulder. Here’s a look at some all-too-common mishaps: 🚫 Common Offboarding Pitfalls   - The "You're Dead to Us" Treatment👻     Suddenly, you’re invisible—emails go unanswered, projects vanish, and it’s like you were never there.  - The "Guilt Trip Express"😮💨     “After all we did for you?” It’s uncomfortable for everyone when employees are guilted for moving on. - The "One Month of Torture"🔥     That last month becomes a tough grind of micromanagement, scrutiny, and awkwardness. 💡 Key Offboarding Practices   To keep it classy, here’s how to handle exits like pros: - 🤝 Professionalism & Empathy – Acknowledge and respect their choice without resentment. - 📝 Conduct Exit Interviews – Gather feedback, thank them for their contributions, and learn from their journey. - 🎉 Plan a Thoughtful Send-Off – Honor their work with a well-organized farewell. - 🔗 Stay Connected – Today’s departing employee could be tomorrow’s brand ambassador or rehire. Takeaway: Let’s handle offboarding with the same respect we give to onboarding. Every exit is an opportunity to strengthen our brand and leave a lasting positive impression. 🙌✨ #HRInsights #EmployerBranding #EmployeeExperience #OffboardingDoneRight #ExitStrategy

Layoffs feel unethical, but they’re not inherently wrong. It’s the behavior behind the decision that matters. I learned this early in my career. Layoffs are business decisions. They’re about numbers, markets, and strategy. What makes them unethical is when leadership lies, hides, or treats people like disposable parts. When you can’t look someone in the eye and tell the truth, that’s when you’ve crossed the line. That’s why I teach the ETHICS framework to leaders and HR folks. It’s not academic. It’s survival. It kept me grounded when the pressure was high and the choices were ugly. Evaluate. Get the facts. Who’s impacted? What’s the real story behind the spreadsheet? Don’t accept half-truths. Think. Sit with the consequences. Who gets hurt? Who gets protected? What’s the ripple effect six months from now? Honor values. Integrity isn’t a slide deck. It’s how you behave when nobody’s watching. Does this decision reflect what you say you stand for? Identify options. There are always more than leaders admit. Better severance. Clearer communication. A chance to redeploy someone into a different role. Get creative. Choose. Make the call with clarity, not cowardice. People can smell fear. They can also smell respect. Scrutinize. After it’s done, don’t bury it. What worked? What was awful? What will you refuse to repeat? Layoffs are a business failure for sure. We can and should make them fair, transparent, and respectful. That’s ethical leadership. So next time you’re in the room for a hard decision, don’t wing it. Don’t hide. Use the ETHICS framework. Stand in your values. People will forget the press release, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel when their job disappeared. https://lnkd.in/e2amCVM6

The end of the year is chaotic. Budgets are tight. Burnout is real. As a founder, you're juggling a million things, trying to keep the business on track while planning for the year ahead, closing the year out strong, hiring, onboarding, or dealing with resignations. I get it. It’s easy to prioritize what feels urgent over what truly matters. But let’s zoom out for a second. What if your departing employee becomes your biggest advocate... or your harshest critic? What if your newest hire starts regretting their decision on Day 1 because you treated them like a checkbox instead of a person? Here’s the harsh truth: The way you handle these moments says more about your leadership than anything else. And guess what? The world behind closed doors is smaller than you think. Here’s why founders often miss the mark: “𝑰’𝒎 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒚” – You’re stretched thin, so you skip the exit interview or rush onboarding. “𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔” – You compartmentalize tough departures and forget the person behind the decision. “𝑰𝒕’𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒊𝒕𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒕” – You assume culture can take care of itself, but it never does. Here's the fix: Treat departing employees like future employees. Respect them, listen to them, and thank them for their contributions. You never know when your paths will cross again. Treat new hires like your most valuable customers. First impressions matter. They’re betting on you. Show them they made the right choice. And ask yourself this: What would you want them to say about their experience if you weren't in the room? Would they describe the transition as thoughtful and human? Or transactional and cold? You can’t control everything in your business. But this? This is 100% within your control. Take 10 minutes today to ask: How would 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 leaving or joining this company? What could we do better? Then do it. When you invest in these moments, the dividends are real: a stronger reputation, a tighter culture, and relationships that will keep on giving beyond a single job. The hard decisions don’t have to be heartless. Make them count. Even when it's tempting to make the short, term easy opposite choice. Your future self will thank you. #startups #founders #leadership

Don't burn bridges. Proverb: Do not act in a manner that causes irreparable harm to your past relationships or connections, as you may need them later in life. It may seem obvious, but how you leave an organisation can say everything about your likely success in your next venture. Last week, a close friend shared their experience of their COO's recent departure. On their way out, “Scott” threw grenades in every direction. Departing from the agreed-upon company communication strategy, he broke management protocol on confidentiality by sharing sensitive information with his staff at his farewell party—all this was from a former senior leader, feted as a star performer a few months earlier. In a recent survey, one out of four respondents stated that they left their current role due to a "toxic" breakdown in their relationship. While some circumstances may cause us to leave our jobs on a sour note, it is always a good idea to exit gracefully and keep things professional. Being disrespectful towards your ex-manager or colleagues may not seem much initially because you're leaving the organisation. But this can significantly affect your future career prospects. And trust me when I say that it does. When you decide to make a move. Don’t: 1. Talk poorly of your manager or your team 2. Make a halfhearted effort during your notice period 3. Boast about your new job to others while working out your notice 4. Bring up old issues to justify your exit 5. Poach a colleague or a client during your notice period 6. Engage in unethical activities 7. Misbehaving during your exit party Instead, be gracious and kind, even if you've not had a great experience, which will only make you look better. Remember people are monitoring how an employee leaves. How you leave indicates how you may behave once you come aboard. You will save yourself future regret and stress if you leave on good terms. And you never know; your old boss might open doors of opportunity and give you a good reference long into your future. It is your brand and career, but be careful not to act in a manner that will irreparably harm your future. It is better to close the door gently than slam it in everyone's faces on your way out. Don't burn bridges.

Most leaders obsess over hiring. Few think deeply about how people leave. Yet departures define leadership more than arrivals ever will. Because everyone is watching. The leaver. The team. The market. Because redundancy is not only a financial event. It’s a human event. Handled poorly, it breeds bitterness, fear, and long-term brand damage. Handled well, it creates dignity, trust, and even future allies. I call this the High-Dignity Departure. After 20 years leading teams and coaching CEOs, I’ve seen what makes the difference. It comes down to 7 practices that any leader, in any organisation, can apply: 1. Kindness in Clarity → Ambiguity hurts more than the news itself → Say the business reason first, then the individual impact 2. One Human Conversation → This is one of the most memorable conversations of their life → Show up yourself. Don’t delegate it away. 3. Support with Dignity, Not Pity Not every org can afford rich packages, but every org can offer agency 4. Craft Their Story, Together → Help them leave with a narrative they can share with pride → Career confidence is often the first casualty 5. Recognise Before You Release → Contributions unacknowledged = culture undermined → Recognition costs little, returns a lot 6. Departures as Bridges → Most leaders treat redundancy as an ending → Smart leaders treat it as the start of an alumni relationship 7. Follow Up After the Silence A 30-word check-in 6 months later can mean more than any package. Small act, massive impact. The result? Leavers feel respected and supported. Leaders build credibility, protect time, and create future allies. That’s the Dignity Dividend. Months later, the best feedback you’ll ever get is simple: “It was hard, but they treated me with respect. I’d work with them again.” Leaders: departures are not the end of leadership. They’re the ultimate test of it. Agree? Disagree? --------------------------------- ♻️ Repost this to help others, too. And follow Phil Hayes-St Clair for more. 📌 Want cheat sheets like this each week? Subscribe here: https://philhsc.com

Resigning with class and professionalism. I met with a senior funds management executive this week whose approach genuinely stood out. They were performing strongly in their role but recognised that, over time, the position had drifted away from their core interests and passions. Rather than quietly testing the market or exploring opportunities behind the scenes, they chose a different path. They resigned and provided six months’ notice. Not only that, they are leading the process to hire their successor and ensuring a thorough handover, leaving the business in the strongest possible position. It’s a level of professionalism and respect you don’t often see. Importantly, this approach has enabled them to engage with the market in a completely transparent way, having open, honest conversations with both their current employer and potential future ones. In my experience, how you leave a role says as much about you as how you perform in it. Too often, resignations are handled in ways that create uncertainty or tension. Done properly, with transparency, support and intent, they can be a genuinely positive experience for both the individual and the business.

Leaving on a high note isn’t just for musicians—it’s for professionals too. 🌟 Transitioning to a new job is an exciting step in your career. But before you leap into the future, there’s a crucial phase you shouldn’t overlook: Serving your notice period right. Effective Communication during this time can leave a lasting positive impression. 🟢 Here's how to nail it: ✅ Give Proper Notice: Follow your company's policy for notice periods. It shows professionalism and respect for your team’s time to adjust. ✅ Stay Engaged: Keep up your work ethic. Finishing strong is a testament to your character and dedication. ✅ Offer to Train Your Replacement: If possible, offer to help train someone to take over your responsibilities. It’s a generous and helpful gesture. ✅ Document Your Work: Leave detailed notes or guides for ongoing projects. It ensures a smoother transition and is incredibly helpful for your team. ✅ Express Gratitude: Take the time to thank your colleagues and supervisors. A little appreciation goes a long way in maintaining positive relationships. ✅ Request Feedback: Ask for a final meeting to discuss your performance. It shows you’re keen on personal growth, even as you exit. ✅ Keep Communications Open: Leave your contact information and keep in touch. Networking doesn’t end when you leave the job. Serving your notice period with grace and professionalism sets the tone for your departure and preserves valuable relationships for the future. 💡 Ever had a standout notice period experience? Share your story or tips below! 👍 If you found these exit strategies useful, smash that like button, share with friends embarking on new journeys, and follow us for more career wisdom. Let’s make every transition a stepping stone to success! #careertips #noticeperiod #jobseekers

Stop Blaming Pay, Start Fixing Leadership (why high performers really leave, and how to keep them): Money opens the door, leadership makes people stay. High output without high chronic stress is a design choice. Here are 7 reasons top talent walks, and the fix to keep them: 1. Trust gap → Radical transparency Say what will happen, then do it. Share context early, explain trade-offs, close loops in writing so people know where they stand. 2. No ownership → Real autonomy Give decision rights and a clear DRI. Define the goal and guardrails, then step back and support. 3. Stalled growth → Visible path Map roles, skills, and timelines. Offer stretch projects by choice, not punishment, and fund coaching so progression is real. 4. Culture tax → Teamwork rewarded Remove politics and undermining fast. Promote collaboration, not noise, and make psychological safety a metric you defend. 5. Small leadership → Empathy with standards Drop fear and favoritism. Ask better questions, set clear bars, model the behavior you expect when it costs you something. 6. Invisible work → Public credit, private coaching Name who did what, let them present outcomes, give specific feedback in private, and document wins. 7. Burnout loop → Sustainable pace Plan capacity, protect deep work, defend off hours. When pressure spikes, make trade-offs out loud so people aren’t punished for boundaries. Your best people don’t leave jobs, they leave environments that waste their potential. Build one worth staying for. Which fix will you install this month, and what is step one? ♻️ Share this with a manager who sets the tone ➕ Follow Helene Guillaume Pabis for human-first leadership, clarity, and momentum ✉️ Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dy3wzu9A