Workflow 11
Offboarding
Voluntary and involuntary, done cleanly
Illustrative current-practice design
This is one worked example of how the process is commonly run, not a standard and not advice. Timings, thresholds and percentages are illustrative. Verify anything legally sensitive against local law and your own counsel.
Use it as a complete starting point, then adjust it for your company's strategy, culture, workforce, jurisdiction, collective agreements, technology, risk appetite and future-of-work direction.
Content last reviewed 28 July 2026.
Philosophy
How people leave is watched by everyone who stays. Exits are professional, fast on logistics, and honest in the data they generate.
Cadence
Per event; exit data reviewed quarterly
The steps
- 01
Voluntary: resignation
- Manager notifies HR within 24 hours
- Neutral exit interview plus flight risk analysis to test whether retention makes sense
- Either a retention conversation or a professional exit, decided, not drifted into
- Notice period managed; knowledge transfer scheduled and confirmed
- IT and equipment offboarding triggered on the last day
- Exit data fed into analytics
- 02
Involuntary: performance
Legally sensitive: verify locally- HR consulted upfront
- Determine whether jurisdiction-specific legal review is needed before an involuntary termination, based on the facts, contract terms, protected grounds, leave or accommodation status, collective agreement, potential notice obligations and litigation risk.
- Manager and HRBP conduct the termination meeting together
- HR Ops prepares the termination letter
- Determine statutory minimums and any additional contractual, common-law, civil-law or collective-agreement obligations that may apply. Obtain jurisdiction-specific advice where required.
- IT access revoked immediately
- Manager communicates to the team the same day using HRBP-approved messaging
Who does what (RACI)
| Step | Responsible | Accountable | Consulted | Informed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exit interview | HRBP | CHRO | Manager | HR Ops |
| Termination decision | Manager | BU Leader | HRBP, Legal | HR Ops, Payroll |
| Access and equipment | HR Ops | HR Ops Lead | IT | Manager |
SLAs to track
Resignation notified to HR
24 hours
IT access revoked (involuntary)
Immediately
Team communication
Same day
Future-of-work considerations
- Exit signals drawn from continuous listening as well as the exit interview
- Alumni and boomerang talent pools as part of a more fluid employment model
- Knowledge transfer designed for distributed teams, not corridor handovers
- Privacy and explainability limits on any attrition-prediction model