The Importance and Impact of a Thoughtful Farewell
My late father was only fifty years old when he was suddenly made redundant from one of the leading four banks in Australia. Dad, and many of his similarly aged colleagues, were replaced with young managers who had never worked in a bank. The organisation changed their way of recruiting managers and, in the process, removed many with significant experience. After thirty-three years of loyal service, it was difficult for Dad to comprehend what was happening. Suddenly being removed from a role he held dear was extraordinarily difficult. He loved his customers and team, and they all loved him.
It was very traumatic, and Dad had no idea what the future held. With a family and associated responsibilities, it was a very intense time with much stress and worry. After all those years of service, he was distressed about how he was treated. He had moved his young family multiple times for various roles at the bank’s request and had done everything that was asked of him. After all that service, he was given a box to pack up his belongings and, in a matter of days, his career with the bank came to a close.
What I remember most from this time was the response from his customers and his team. As his branch was attached to a hospital, his customers were predominantly nurses, doctors and health professionals. The focus of Dad’s customers was saving lives, and Dad did everything he could to make their lives easier with banking and their accounts. They trusted him and his care. So, when they learnt that he had been made redundant, they were devastated. They started writing letters and calling head office, demanding that he be reinstated. It got to the point where the bank asked Dad to tell his customers to stop calling. The thing was, Dad hadn’t asked them to call; they did this of their own accord.
While the bank did nothing to farewell him in a caring manner, the customers arranged a beautiful send-off that meant the world to my Dad. His customers took turns speaking about Dad and what he had meant to them. His team also organised a separate beautiful farewell that showed their regard for him. Dad treated everyone equally, whether it was the top cardiologist in the country, the security team or the people who cleaned the bank. He knew them personally, and they loved it. He knew people by name and got to know their stories. He knew about their kids and was as interested in his customers as his team. They were grateful for his incredible service and how much he cared for them.
When people leave an organisation, they deserve better than the bank’s treatment of my father.
During one of my service leadership workshops, I heard the story of a completely different sendoff. One leader spoke about a company he had worked with during the pandemic lockdown in Melbourne. Given the restrictions, everyone worked from home, so he had never met the team in person. It was difficult to get everyone together for a traditional farewell. So, his leader sent a chain letter around to each team member, and everybody wrote about the contribution he had made to the team. He shared that the letter is a treasured possession he carries with him always. It means more than anything he has ever received at work.
It is not always about a tangible gift; it is the level of thought and consideration that goes into the exit experience. The departure of a team member is an important time to celebrate their contribution and ensure people leave feeling valued and appreciated. Celebrate this milestone whether they are choosing to take an external career opportunity or for any other reason.
As Ben Wigert and Sangeeta Agrawal explained, ‘When an employee looks back at their time with you, they want to feel like it mattered. Every person wants to feel that they contributed, even in a small way.’
A positive off-boarding or exit experience is an integral part of the employee journey. Team members leave a team or organisation for many reasons, whether voluntary or involuntary. These could include another internal opportunity, a new external role, retirement or redundancy and this must also be considered. All great experiences are by design, not by default and this includes how a team member is made to feel when they leave an organisation.
