Saying Goodbye – An Employee Experience that Still Matters.

As many of you know, Abby Tiangco left Elevated to join the ranks of MasterBUILT Hotels heading up their HR now internally.  Abby was with our team for almost 8 years and MBH has been a valued client for as long as Abby has been a team member, so it only made sense to all of us to see that relationship continue to grow as Abby transitions to full-time with their team.

Abby gave us a long lead time to support a transition, and throughout the last six weeks, we had so much fun celebrating her and the impact she has made on our team and the profession itself – from video tributes to picture sharing to watching the fun videos Elevated has put together through the years; we had a goal of truly honoring her.

Change – specifically with departing team members can be a tough transition for both the employee and the employer. And it’s not always easy either.

Truthfully, I’ve had my fair share of onboarding and off-boarding experiences. And in my experience, while the onboarding has its reputation of being fun, exciting and engaging; offboarding is usually the opposite. I remember this one offboarding experience, where a team member had been with the company over 5 years. They had progressed through the company taking on different roles and responsibilities and grew a team around them. When a change in leadership occurred, it wasn’t the best fit, and after a while trying to make it work, the obvious choice was to make a change. That said, there was no celebration, there was no recognition of contribution, there was only bitterness and regret. They ended up fading into the background and on to new challenges. And what’s worse – that person was no longer a champion for the organization they once were.

But after I saw what we did with Abby, I firsthand got to see the impact of a heartfelt goodbye. I now know we need to be mindful to always (always) celebrate and make that transition a positive one. Full of thanks, well-wishes and support. I guarantee as the person departs for their new journey, they are filled with the sentiment that they are special and their contributions were valued.

Let’s face it: That same employee may land you your next big deal, refer a new team member or after they learn a few things may even want to come back. An employee choosing a new path isn’t about you or the organization; it’s part of their journey in life, period.

Make the last day as memorable as the first.