Resigning
- 1. A Blusource Guide to Resigning the right way I want to stay on good terms with my employer
- 2. First things first.... Resigning The Meeting - Telling them face to faceDo you actually want to leave? Have you written down the pros and cons of moving on? Do you know that this will be a good move for you? If you have been looking for a new role, that would indicate there are issues with your current one. You could be looking for career development, new challenges, better money or location, but whatever it is, have you explored whether the issue(s) could first be solved by your current employer? Some may fear resigning, but leaving a business does not have to be bad experience. People enjoy the feeling of taking charge of their own destiny and usually find the process quite liberating. If something is holding you back in any way (which is probably why you are looking to move on, directly or indirectly), to release yourself from those shackles, to do something about it is inspiring. I often see when one person leaves an organisation, it can often trigger colleagues to look at improving things for themselves. If you are prepared for it, you will enjoy it, because if you are prepared and have accurately weighed up the pros and cons, you will know whether you are doing the right thing. • Prepare what you are going to say and stick with it in the meeting. I don’t mean prepare a speech, but they may ask in-depth questions which you may not want to answer just yet. Making them understand the benefits for you in moving on will help them come to terms with it, but you don’t have to go into all of the detail if you don’t want to. However, don’t be obstructive and let them know you will do whatever you can to help in terms of a handover. • Be positive, highlight the benefits of what your new role will mean to your life, rather than talking of any negatives about your current employer • Be prepared for different ways they may take the news, you might be surprised by how they react. Some employers can take it personally or tell you that you are letting them or the team down (you aren’t) and could become either confrontational or emotional – either way, retain your composure and stick with what you had prepared to say. The truth is, if they truly want what is best for you as an individual and they understand why you are moving, their reaction should be “Congratulations! Hope it all goes well for you”. If however they react badly, do they really have your best interests at heart or is just because it is an inconvenience for them or because it may cost them money to replace you? You may have an urge to tell your boss in no uncertain terms why you are leaving, but have you thought about the longer term... There are good and bad ways to resign and you need to remember you are likely to need that employer to give you a reference (not just for your next job, but maybe the one after that if your career path progresses or changes). You also don’t know where your career may cross paths with those of your employer in the future. To resign the right way, be positive, prepared and expect that your employer could react in a way you weren’t necessarily expecting (positively or negatively). Have your reasons for leaving clear in your mind
- 3. Think very carefully about any counter offer PS... Finally, good luck in your new role. Hope it goes well! You might want to the read the Blusource guide about how to make an impact in your new job…. What if they make you a counter-offer? Working your notice You should take any counter offer seriously, but you need to ask yourself: • Are they offering me what I really want? • Have they addressed all the reasons I was looking to leave in the first place? • Why has it taken until now for them to offer this to me? • Now you have handed in your notice, will your employer think you are fully committed to them going forwards? • How would you, accepting a counter-offer, affect the potential new employers’ view of your integrity? You never know when your paths with may cross again. Whilst accepting a counter-offer can sometimes solve the problem, studies have shown that overwhelmingly, most people who accept a counter offer will be looking for another role again within 6 months! • The actual length of your notice period should be stated in your contract and whilst you can negotiate around that if you wish, be prepared that you are obliged to work it and to complete all outstanding tasks where possible. • Make sure you leave on a good note; people remember first and last impressions. Chances are, the way you work your notice will be their last impression of you. You may have worked there for 20 years and done a great job, but that can all be undone by leaving on a sour note. Plus, knowing you have done a good job when you have finished will feel good for you too. • Who do you think gets the better reference? The person who works their notice but doesn’t really care about what they are doing, or the one that does it to the best of their ability as if they weren’t leaving at all. • Be positive with colleagues as again, you never know when you will come across them again in your career. Being very negative about your employees whilst working your notice won’t generally go down well. Let them know if you have enjoyed working with them and give them support. Leave a good impression - you never know when you will cross paths with colleagues again
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