Quitting your job? Here's why you shouldn't keep quiet about it

The process of leaving a company goes beyond handing in your resignation letter, doing handovers and packing up - a really important part of it lies in how to tell people you're going.

I'll be upfront and say this - I've never resigned from a company before, so perhaps I have no business talking about whether or when one's departure from a company should be made public (to the rest of the person's colleagues).

That being said, I have always perceived news of a person's decision to leave the company they work for to be sensitive - or at the very least, "not my news to share".

Until a colleague I was speaking with one day asked me, but why? Why be shy about talking to someone about their departure? Why should this be a secret, or something not to be discussed openly?

Why indeed? Perhaps the person is sensitive about circumstances surrounding their exit - maybe they were fired? Or if they were not, maybe they're leaving without a new job lined up and would prefer not to have to field questions about why - or maybe they're leaving with a new job and don't want to say where for now?

Circumstances aside, the pandemic and overall shift to hybrid work has made the handling of these matters a bit trickier. More than once in this past year, I learned about people's departures or impending departures as middle clauses of sentences, or through operational discussions (of the leaving colleagues' roles opening up), rather than through any formal communication.

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And because of how informally I learned of these people's departures, I froze up whenever talking to the people themselves, or with any other colleague, unsure if they already knew that I knew (in the case of the departing colleague), or if they knew - and if it was appropriate for me to be the one telling them about it if they didn't already.

Certainly, therefore, all these complexities that come with overthinking and second-guessing will be spoken for if departures were made known to all, once and for all.

So here's my bold proposition: Departures should be announced department or companywide (depending on how large the company and department is, of course), as soon as they're confirmed.

The benefits:

• Operationally, people working with the person, or who want to initiate projects with the person, are informed early enough to adjust their plans or prepare handovers.
• If communication is managed well, announcing early and comprehensively will eliminate the need for gossip, rumours or the building up of tensions.
• Colleagues of the person leaving have ample time and opportunity to digest the news of that person's departure, and manage any anxiety, drop in morale or uncertainty that may arise from it.

What would an ideal departure announcement process look like? Here's my take:

If you're the one leaving:

1. Submit your letter to your supervisor first. Have the conversation with them, and give your supervisor time to escalate your decision to the relevant highest management.
2. Allow a period of negotiation or counter-offer, if the management wishes to make an effort to retain you.
3. Once it's confirmed that you are not accepting any counter offers, and are definitely leaving, plan the communication of your departure with your managers - an e-mail could be sent by an appropriately senior level of management to the company or department with topline details - the fact that you are leaving and your last day of work (especially if you are clearing leave before your official last day).
4. Before sending the e-mail, arrange smaller huddles with your teammates and subordinates (if any) to share the news before that company or department-wide e-mail. Be ready to respond to any sensitive questions or concerns. If you are being let go, perhaps your supervisor could do this in your absence.
5. Plan and decide what you are comfortable sharing with colleagues who may approach you to probe further the circumstances behind you leaving.

In this way, anyone who works with you is informed early enough to reach out to you and tie up any outstanding projects or tasks on hand that you're involved in or in charge of, for handovers. Anyone emotionally affected by your departure will also have sufficient time to prepare themselves for it - perhaps take you out for lunch or organise a farewell meal.

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If you're managing a departure:

1. Work with the departing colleague to establish a communication plan to announce the news to everyone else in the company or department - especially important if you are not parting ways amicably, firing the colleague, or retrenching them, and there may be unhappiness on their part.
2. Announce the news to the company or department in an e-mail that covers the key topline details as soon as possible, to prevent rumours from spreading and tension from building up among any individuals or teams. Be respectful and sincere, thanking them for their contributions to the company and wishing them well in their next steps.
3. Organise smaller group meetings with the teams and close working colleagues of the person who is leaving to share the news with them in advance of the mass e-mail announcement, and also to offer them the opportunity to ask questions in a safe space. Keep communication lines open for colleagues to reach out to you or to the HR team overseeing the offboarding process with any concerns or questions.
4. Consider checking in with colleagues who might be particularly affected by the person's departure individually, or send other senior managers to journey with them as well. I found this helped when I managed departures at my previous companies too - staying close to the ground always shows your teams that you are there for them through this challenging period.

Changing cultures, mindsets and approaches to human resource management is doubtless a tough task - far easier said, and even explained, than done, especially relating to currently deemed sensitive matters like departures.

But perhaps if a company's management can be convinced that it makes operational sense to do this, prompt and transparent departure communications might see some helpful and positive change in the workplace.

This article was first published in The Business Times. Permission required for reproduction.

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