Employee turnover is an inevitable part of running a business. Whatever their motivation – whether it’s a career change, a new opportunity or personal circumstances – it’s always prudent to ensure that you stay on good terms with the departing individual, even if you’re sorely disappointed to lose a highly talented and valuable member of the team. There are numerous reasons why a positive farewell is always a wise move for your business, and I’ll discuss each of these below.
1. Preserve your reputation
Perhaps the most obvious reason why you should stay on good terms with an employee when they’re leaving is the fact the business world is a small place – especially in today’s interconnected world. A former employee who enjoyed their time at your company and felt valued will likely be an ambassador for your brand wherever they go in the future. This is free advertising, essentially, and who knows what great talent could end up being attracted to your firm as a result? On the other hand, a disgruntled ex-employee who left under a cloud is more likely to write a scathing review on Glassdoor, for example, or criticise aspects of your business when working elsewhere. Such negative word-of-mouth could deter talent from applying for your latest vacancy, and it could even cause you to lose out on new business.
2. They might come back
Not many jobs are for life these days, with people frequently leaving positions due to a tempting new opportunity that turns their head. However, many of those people realise later on that their new job isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and that they need to re-evaluate the situation. If this person left your company on good terms, there’s a good chance that they’d consider coming back again, and they may even bring some new skills, experience and knowledge with them. If their exit was awkward in some way, then the thought of returning to the fold would probably be too uncomfortable, for them and also for you and your team, potentially.
3. Future collaborations
As I said at the start of this blog, we live in fast-moving, unpredictable times, with constant advancements in technology such as AI disrupting the landscape. With this in mind, who knows where your former employees could end up in the future? For instance, someone who was a junior worker at your firm a few years ago could now be the CEO of a potential client. If you’ve maintained a good relationship with this individual during their time with you, you’ll stand a much better chance of doing business with them – because the mutual respect and trust is already there.
4. You’ll get constructive feedback
If you conduct their exit interview in the right way, with a friendly atmosphere in which honest feedback is welcomed, your departing employee might provide you with some golden nuggets of information about why they’ve decided to leave, what they like about the company, what they don’t like and what could be improved. An employee may offer more truthful insights when they’re leaving than they would while still in the role, and it could help you improve your processes and possibly avoid other people leaving for similar reasons.
5. Enhance office morale and culture
Another thing to consider when dealing with a departing employee is how the rest of the team percieve your handling of the situation. Treat them with respect and professionalism and their colleages will trust you and may feel more invested in the company. Your positive action could trickle down through the company, improving the morale of your staff and influencing the office culture in the right way.
How to ensure a positive exit:
Of course, it’s important to remember that the art of amicable goodbyes goes both ways. If you’re the employee leaving the firm, it’s just as important that you leave on good terms. For instance, you might decide in the future that you’d like to work there again, or you may wish to leverage your connection with your old boss to land another position, or even a client, in the future.
Ultimately, whether you’re the employer or the employee, it pays to ensure that exits are amicable, as you never know where that connection could lead you later down the line. And if you are currently going through this process and need some advice on how best to handle it, get in touch with OXBO today. We’d be happy to help.
Dominic Brown is the Co-Founder of OXBO and Headhunter and Recruitment Partner for Tech.
May 23, 2025
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