Your notice period is a strange and strenuous time for both you and your colleagues. We’ve put together a few tips to help you navigate through this emotional roller coaster, so that you can hand in your notice properly and walk into your next role feeling calm and confident.
How to Hand in Your Notice
It’s imperative that this is done in a confidential and professional manner. Ask for a meeting with your line manager at their convenience when you want to hand in your notice, and inform them of your plans to leave the company.
Remain humble and thank them for the opportunities provided during your tenure. You’ll need to write and sign a letter informing them of your departure, and it’s best to do this after you have resigned face-to-face, or once you have spoken to your HR department about it, in a more formal capacity. Plenty of resignation letter templates are available online.
Write a Detailed Handover
Prepare any necessary handover documents and/or handover meetings to ensure you tie up any loose ends. If finishing every one of your ongoing projects is unrealistic, be honest with your manager so that they can make suitable arrangements.
In addition to this, a thorough timetable of your outstanding work (and any new work you’re given during your notice period) is vital.
Keep Communicating After You Hand in Your Notice
Communication throughout your notice period is crucial but bear in mind what to communicate and when. For example, it’s usually the responsibility of your line manager to inform others of your impending departure, so if you have any doubt about what you can or cannot communicate, check first.
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Leave Your Colleagues in a Good Place
If you have any staff reporting to you, make sure they are reassured before you leave. They will be worried about where your resignation leaves them, so put plans in place to keep things running smoothly during and after your departure.
Take a Step Back When You Have Resigned
You might feel a little isolated during your notice period. Emails will be sent around that don’t include you, meetings will happen without you, and decisions will be taken without your input. Don’t take offence – just sit back and enjoy your last few weeks at the company.
Leave a Lasting Impression
During your notice period, remain motivated. Now more-than-ever, you’ll be under scrutiny. You may well encounter your colleagues again, so don’t burn any bridges.
Going above and beyond to help with your transition (especially regarding tasks that you are not responsible for) will leave your colleagues with lasting positive memories of your work ethic, and have a positive impact on other employees, too. Be sure to leave contact details with your handover, just in case you’ve forgotten anything.
Also, downplay your future career plans. Nobody likes a show-off, so keep details of your next steps to a minimum, and don’t overdo it by widely discussing how happy you are to be leaving. If you’re leaving for a pay-rise, don’t vocalise that, either.