Whether you’ve taken another position or are saying goodbye to a job involuntarily, you want to go out on a positive note — even if you’re not feeling so peachy about the company. So if you choose to send a goodbye email, what exactly should you say? Who should the recipients be? When should you send it?
Many people want to know the norms for this sort of thing. And while the answers vary, there’s much more advice out there nowadays on the topic. That’s probably because we get to see the farewells from industry leaders leaked on the Internet.
Also on Mediabistro
In Campbell Brown’s case, it was eloquent and honest. At the offices of media giants who gave staff members quick warning that it was their last day, well, those messages were not too positive. Regardless of your reason for leaving, here are a few tips to make sure that if you do send a message, you can walk out with your head up.
DO: Decide whether to send a message
First of all, do you have to send a farewell message? That all depends how you ask. While many people believe in sending out some sort of communication to others, others nix the idea because it could have negative repercussions.
“Don’t write emails to your remaining colleagues. It’s too risky,” says Scott Love, a recruiting trainer and speaker from North Carolina. He says a group email could be used to poke fun, or could be misinterpreted. “It could be circulated round and round the office as a mockery to your departure.”
Elizabeth Lions, coach and author of Recession Proof Yourself, says there is another drawback to sending a farewell email: it could interrupt things in the office. “It is unlikely that your coworkers are your friends, and instead of being a friendly gesture, it could be a disruption to your organization,” she notes. Lyons said it is okay to say farewell to colleagues that you consider friends, but that should not be done via email.
“Your job when you leave is to manage the transition on your departure,” Lions says. “Keep friends as friends and coworkers as what they are—coworkers.”
DO: Write a professional message
Sometimes saying nothing can leave just as sour of an image. Carrie Stack, a certified life coach and founder of the Say Yes Institute in Massachusetts, says she has found that too many people disappear—regardless of why they leave. “It leaves a negative impression, even if there was a positive relationship. Termination can be difficult, and people don’t know how to do it, so they basically run for it.”
Instead, Stack says saying goodbye and acknowledging your departure is imperative, as is doing so with class and grace. “Send a goodbye email to recognize you are leaving, and appreciate the experience you had there, and the relationships you built. People will remember that, and you never know who you will cross paths with again,” Stack says. “Taking the high road always pays off.”
DON’T: Go into details David D. Menzies, president of Menzies Consulting, Inc., North Carolina, agrees and says that being open about your departure can put you more in control over what people say when you leave. He explains that in the case of an unscrupulous employer, they may take it upon themselves to explain why you’re no longer there. Without going into detail or saying anything negative about the employer, just send a note saying you have chosen to move on and thank everyone for their support. That way, even if your message is “leaked” to parties it was not sent to, it still paints you in a positive light. In doing this, “you are proactively engaging in reputation management, which will benefit you down the road,” Menzies adds.
Most people know what constitutes a professional message. In addition to being friendly, you do not want to include details on the reason you are leaving. Unless it is due to moving, which Donna Flagg, workplace expert and the founder of The Krysalis Group, an HR and management consulting firm in New York City and author of Surviving Dreaded Conversations, says is harmless. Otherwise, just leave it alone, she says.
“You don’t want to leave a bad impression, especially one that is permanent and spreadable in infinite ways in these days of Internet prevalence,” adds Flagg.
DO: Gather contacts for future networking
Some people agree that friends are the only ones you need to stay in touch with, but there can be another advantage to the farewell email: future career prospects. For that reason alone, Milan P. Yager, president and CEO of the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations in Virginia, said farewell emails should include recipients that are not just friends, but professional associates that may serve you in the future.
“Separate close professional relationships that you have nurtured from everything else and provide your forwarding information only to those in your professional relationship circle,” he says. This is, of course, after you give your resignation and talk with your supervisor. “When telling your closest professional friends why you are leaving, focus on the opportunities ahead,” says Yager. “What’s behind doesn’t matter any longer. Stay positive and begin the branding of your new professional career.”
DO: Send the message at the right time
Do you blast out your message five minutes before you walk out the door, or give your colleagues time to organize a tasteful sendoff complete with a sheet cake? Before you even draft your farewell email, submit a resignation letter to your employer, says Cynthia E. Kazalia, a placement specialist at the New Directions Career Center in Ohio.
“If you’re the type who likes a clean, quick exit, send the email on your last day,” says Douglas Hardy, general manager and editor of Monster Careers. “If you want some handshakes, and some hugs, send the email a few days before you leave.” Hardy says that a good rule of thumb is not to let a weekend pass between the notice and your departure.
DON’T: Violate your company’s email policy
Many times, it’s not the fact that you do or don’t send a message—it is more so all about the way you state things. Following your organization’s rules about emailing within the office, for example, is key. Sandra E. Lamb, author of How to Write It, Personal Notes and Write the Right Words, says farewell emails should go to the recipient’s personal email account. This will also help to ease any tension with the company because many organizations have strict email rules that can sometimes bite back.
Topics:
Mediabistro Archive