Steps in the Exiting of a Professional

For the process to run as smoothly as possible, some steps must be followed;

• 1. The process must be planned;
• 2., It must be a respectful process;
• 3. Be individual and personal;
• 4. Be clear and concise;
• 5. Always have a witness;
• 6. It must not be driven by personal feelings;
• 7. It must be documented;

1 The process must be planned. As the exiting process and the decision to terminate an employee is normally not immediate, the process of exiting someone requires good planning. You will plan what to say to the individual, and ensure you have a private place, with no distractions. You will know all the steps of the process and be able to provide orientation to the employee affected.

2 It must be a respectful process. In any circumstance, you, as the person's immediate supervisor, must oversee the communication of the termination of services to your subordinate. Never delegate this to another person. This experience is vital for you as a supervisor or manager, and it will improve your emotional intelligence. It requires you to be cool and manage the situation with no emotional distractions. Also, performing yourself, as the manager or supervisor of the employee who has been terminated, shows respect and empathy to the individual involved.

Be respectful. You are dealing with an employee that tried to perform as expected. Even in the cases of exiting due to misconduct, always be respectful towards the individual. You should explain the causes for it to an employee in a non-emotional way.

3 Be individual and personal. When someone is being exited from a bank, it is a very difficult and emotional moment for any employee, so the communication of it must be done on a one-to-one basis by his direct supervisor. It shows respect and provides a personal touch. Always talk looking straight at the employee, and do not avoid eye contact.

4 Be clear and concise. When someone is told that they will leave a company, it is not an easy message to process, so it is very important for the supervisor/manager communicating this to be very clear in explaining the reason the process is happening. You must be able to answer any doubts that may arise and provide clear orientation on every step of the process. But be concise, as normally what is happening is the result of a failed development plan, which had quarterly reviews. By now the employee is already expecting it. The supervisor just needs to explain that the development plan failed, where it failed, and clearly and simply. Do not go over the whole process and issues again, it will add no value to the process.

When there is no misbehaviour or failure in delivering business or technical goals, and the exiting is driven by external reasons, the supervisors just need to explain the reason for it. This must also be done clearly and concisely, here investing more time in such a process it was not expected by either employee or supervisor.

5 Always have a witness. You never know how an employee will react in such circumstances, so it is advisable to have another person present during the exit interview. It helps with the formalities of the process, like signing documents, but also helps with any unexpected reaction. Normally, an HR professional present can help answer any question of the process.

6 It can't be driven by personal feelings. Some supervisors/managers find it difficult to stay calm. It is vital to focus on the message, giving guidance and orientation to the employee affected. Emotional reactions are normal, but must be avoided at all costs. You need to be professional throughout. When in doubt or feeling an emotion, remember the facts and data used to arrive at this decision. Use those to explain to the person in a professional, non-personal, or emotional way.

7 It must be documented. The whole process must be documented and signed, ensuring that the employee understands what is happening and the process that will follow. It is common practice to provide a document with every step of the process to the employee involved. Once you have communicated to the individual, it is important to explain to the team that stayed in the company what happened and how to behave, to avoid any misunderstanding or misconduct. Sometimes, exiting employees may involve specific packages, mainly when driven by external factors, not related to the individual performance. Examples may be the merging of companies, processes where an area will now be performed by an external supplier, cost reduction programs, or exiting of geographies.

Such packages can provide:

• A redundancy or severance payment based upon several months' salary;
• Outplacement support (companies that help the employee plan the next phase of their career, sometimes helping on find new jobs);
• Gardening Leave (some banks demand that key employees stay out of the job market for a period, to avoid passing 'secrets' to competitors) with full remuneration for the period of it;
• Continued health insurance for a period after they have left the company;
• Any benefit that can ease the transition of the employee.