Everyone knows the expression “first impressions count”, and there’s perhaps no greater truth to this than in recruitment.
While a lot has been written and said about the importance of making a positive first impression during the recruitment stage, too few employers realize that it’s not only about making a good first impression but making a positive final impression too.
When it comes to employee experience, of course, impressions can change throughout the employee lifecycle, however leaving a positive final impression, especially during the offboarding stage when an employee is leaving the company to take up an opportunity elsewhere, is especially important.
What’s Really Shaping Your Employer Brand?
As shared in our e-book about employee experience, “How your employee’s last days go at your company can be just as important as what came before. It could influence how they speak about your company to their future colleagues and industry contacts. And who knows, under the right circumstances, you may even lure them back into a new role down the line.”
Taking the time to put together an offboarding process isn’t just a nicety; an effective offboarding process has the potential to be a big investment in your company's success. How? Let’s explore.
Do you think that only your current employees affect your employer brand? Do you think that it's just what current employees say about your company affects your ability to attract and retain talent? Think again.
The Power of the Word
Even before applying for an open position, it’s extremely common for potential new hires to read reviews on websites such as Glassdoor to learn about your company and its reputation from current and former employees. Many times, it’s a company’s former employees who take the time to write reviews.
Employees who leave with a positive final impression are more likely to recommend your company to friends, family and their social networks as a great place to work. Conversely, if departing employees are left with a negative impression, you can bet that they will inform other would-be candidates what it’s really like at your workplace.
The bottom line is, positive or negative, a departing employee is likely to share their opinion of your company with friends, and, of course, on their social media channels. In many ways, the greatest and influential ambassadors of your company are, in fact, your former employers.
Listen and Learn What Employees Have To Say
Another reason that it is important to have an effective offboarding is that to really be considered a great place to work, you need to be open and listen to what departing employees have to say.
You can learn a lot from former employees. Look at the offboarding process as a way to gain invaluable insight into company culture, see what’s working well, and what can be improved. Furthermore, departing employees are likely to be more candid in their responses. Take this as an opportunity to learn.
Remember, an employee’s final impression of your company is the impression they will take with them when leaving and the impression that will stay with them long after.
To learn more about digital preboarding, onboarding and offboarding, download our tips sheet today!
