Jon Harvill, CPC
Article appeared in the April 2008 NAPM West Georgia Newsletter

The purpose of the resignation process is to give your current employer notice that you will be leaving their company so that they can prepare a smooth transition, and also to free you to join the ranks of your new employer.  Because of the emotional aspects of changing jobs and of having an employee resign, this period can be filled with pitfalls and hazards ranging from mere inconveniences to career threatening disasters.

The stress of not knowing how your current boss will react, and what your fellow workers will think, can be greater than the resignation act itself.

 Let’s walk through some of the events and plan for the outcome you desire.

Before Resigning
Do you have a significant reason for changing jobs and hence resigning?  Do you want to reduce your commute?  Is your need for a change to escape an abusive manager or to change your work content?  Will asking your present employer for a pay increase, or greater job responsibilities possibly get you where you want to be?  Not that you should allow inertia to keep you from changing jobs, but resigning is like riding a roller coaster, - the time to decide is not on the way up the hill, that decision was made earlier, and for a good reason.  When you make the decision to leave the company, be prepared to move forward, without looking back.  

Try to anticipate how your boss is going to react when you resign.  In most organizations a resignation in the ranks is a black mark against the boss.  At a minimum, the boss’s plans will be disrupted, he ends up with an added workload and he must find your replacement. More problematic than the recognition of the financial loss to the company, the boss may feel betrayed and you may feel guilty.

When to Resign
You should not resign until you have received, and accepted, an offer in writing, and the company has completed the steps that the offer is contingent upon, such as background check, pre-employment physical, drug screening, criminal history checks, etc.  (If your future employer fails to put their offer in writing, you may want to write up your understanding of the verbal offer and get the other party to sign it.)  But once details are in order, do not procrastinate.  Your new employer typically wants you on board as soon as you can report.  For the sake of maintaining a good reference you will typically want to offer your employer the standard two weeks notice.

Resignation Process
There are two parts to the resignation, the clean crisp resignation letter that is designed to prevent the conversation from taking unwanted directions, and the accompanying verbal presentation that needs to be equally disciplined and conducted in private with your direct supervisor or manager.  “Manager, do you have a minute for a confidential subject?”

The resignation letter will first express your warm appreciation for the leadership, guidance and learning opportunity the supervisor and the company have provided you.  The most important item to be included in the resignation letter is the final date of your employment.  State it in a way to flatly preclude any misunderstanding and allow for no flexibility.  At this time, do not share your new salary or even the name of the company you are going to work for.  You do not want to endanger your new position by allowing a disgruntled supervisor to take retaliatory actions.  

Your boss may lash out defensively or may all of a sudden appear to become your best buddy.  We have had clients report that the boss appeared more concerned with the employee’s future, than he had ever been during the years the employee had worked there.  

This proposed process may sound cold and rigid but it is important to keep it that way, at least for the time being.  After you have started your new job, you may want to come back and visit to maintain friendships, and to court your ex-boss as a future work reference, but for now, keep the disclosure minimal  

If you allow the resignation conversation to slip into the “buy back” or the ‘counter offer’ discussion, you have lost.  First, you have lost the respect of your boss.  Even if you do not accept the counter offer, you have endangered the good relationship needed for a good future reference source.  If you accept a ‘buy back’ you have almost certainly lost your career momentum.  

Studies repeatedly show that 85% of the people who accept ‘buy backs’ have left that employer within six months.  Either their reason for leaving was not satisfied or the company got rid of them when they found a replacement.  The boss can double your salary or give you an on-the-spot promotion, as long as they do not keep you around very long, it will not cost them very much to have the job transition at their convenience rather than at yours.  Even if you stay with the company, you may be thought of as disloyal, not one to invest advancement in and the ideal choice for the next layoff.  You have also set the precedent that the only way to get a pay increase is to threaten resignation.  

Depending upon the nature of your company as well as the personalities of the management, you should always be prepared to be escorted from the premises when you turn in your notice.  More commonly, you should be prepared to sit down and discuss a transition plan, describing the status of projects and functions under your responsibility and your plans to transfer them to other people.  

Do not extend your final employment date.  Although you may feel a loyalty to your old employer, you are investing your future in your new employer and they typically also need you immediately.

After the resignation
If the company knows the value of a good employee, and the difficulty of replacing one, they may bring out the big guns to try to ‘turn’ you.  Your boss’s boss may, all of a sudden, take an interest in your career and want to wine and dine you and your spouse.  Although flattering, it is not a good idea to allow it to go in that direction and cause more strain than already exists.

After the dust has settled you may want to ask strategic personnel in the old company for letters of recommendation.  Cultivate these contacts as professional references. In future years, keep them advised of your subsequent employment roles and successes.  

A disciplined control of the resignation process is the best safeguard against creating circumstances that can result in ‘burned bridges’ and thwarted career progress.

Jon Harvill CPC, NAPM-WG Career Center Director,
can be contacted at 770 952-0009 or visit their professional web site at professionalsearchatlanta.com