Daydreams of dramatically quitting your job may help you survive workplace boredom or contentious colleagues. But when it comes time to tender your resignation, you might favor an approach that ensures that you’ll still get positive references and abundant future opportunities.
Even if you’re simply moving on to another position, here’s how to detail your decision to depart—whether you’re working in-person or remotely—as well as some do’s and don’ts during this time of transition.
Why resignation etiquette matters
Quitting now doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll never work with that boss or company again.
“We are seeing an uptick over the last year or so with boomerang employees,” says Meredith Hamilton, talent acquisition director for Warner Music Group. “This is born out of the pandemic—a lot of people left for higher wages [and] more flexible workplace[s]… and either have been impacted by layoffs or the grass was not greener where they went.”
“Inevitably, great team members will be offered great opportunities,” says Peggy Lents, founder and CEO of Lents, Mazur & Associates. “That is both hard and a compliment, not only to the team member but also to the training and nurturing we intentionally do at our firm.”
Leigh Walters was one such team member. She began working for Lents in 2007, then left four years later for a more senior role at another company. But her exit didn’t mark the end of the relationship between the two women.
Don’t send your letter of resignation by email
“How notice is given is very telling,” Lents says. “The professional and long-term approach to giving notice is through a one-on-one conversation. Should your significant other break up with you by text or phone or email? Hardly!”
Hamilton agrees. “You truly cannot replace an in-person conversation,” she says. “For the remote workforce, a lot of workers I am seeing will handle [this] with virtual, camera-on notices.”
Wanting to be considerate of her team, Walters gave a month’s notice when she quit rather than the standard two weeks. She also put together a comprehensive packet to kick-start her successor’s onboarding and set them up for success.
“I believe that the manner in which a person departs is more significant than how they arrive,” Lents says. “When I interview candidates, I am surprised when I am told they can start immediately, if they are currently employed, or that they only need to give two weeks’ notice when they have held an important position for some time at their current firm. I can only assume that is how they will one day treat us—so [it’s] a red flag.”
Transform the relationships you’ve made
In 2019, content creator and lifestyle host Lucie Fink wanted to strike out on her own after spending years as a Refinery29 video producer. She met with the head of the video department in person to discuss her departure.
“While I was fully prepared to start running my own business full-time, I was also open to coming up with a creative way that Refinery29 and I could continue working together,” Fink says. “They wound up proposing a year-long partnership that allowed us to stay in contract for the following year.”
In addition to the contracted videos she made, Fink supported Refinery29’s outside ventures, brand partnerships and media activations, even ones that didn’t personally involve her. “I also drove traffic to the company’s content by sharing it on my personal social platforms.”
Following Walters’ departure, she and Lents often met for coffee or lunch.
“I felt like [Lent’s] investment in my career growth didn’t end when I stopped working for her,” Walters says.
When Walters started her own firm in 2021, Lents was one of the first people she informed. Lents’ firm website currently lists Walters as a strategic partner. Their firms work together as projects arise, and Lents also often refers clients to Walters. The two women continue to meet for coffee.
Likewise, Fink’s relationship with Refinery29 is still going strong. “Today, Refinery29 still actively promotes and shares my video content across multiple platforms,” Fink says. Since her personal social media handles are often embedded, that content continues to bring Fink new audiences.
Fink also appreciates her former colleagues’ ongoing support of her independent career. “It shows that they cared for me as an individual, not just as an asset for the company they happened to be working for at the moment.”
Do’s and don’ts during your last two weeks
“Some of the biggest mistakes people make are burning bridges with their colleagues— you never know if and when you’re going to work with these people again,” Fink says. “[Other mistakes include] failing to clearly communicate departure plan[s] or transition details and criticizing the company to its existing employees—remember, they still work there!”
Lents adds that you should discuss when and how staff and clients are apprised of your departure, as well as build a comprehensive, written exit document.
“Hopefully, both sides will truly wish each other well, leading to endless coffees.”
Photo courtesy Trzykropy/Shutterstock.com
