How to Prepare for a Smooth Handover

One of your employees received a new opportunity, and they decided to give it a try. Be it a new job or going back to education, they have told you they’re leaving. That’s not always a bad thing, as there will always be fresh talent in the market.

But before you let them go, there is one final task you must finish: The handover process

Do all employees need to prepare for handovers?

Whether or not handing over the knowledge and contacts for the role is crucial to the business depends entirely on the role. If the leaving employee is an administrative assistant, then you can let them go after asking them to jot down anything they feel they would have wanted to know in the beginning.

If the leaving employee deals with one or more key processes and stakeholders, then it is important to take the time and go through the whole handover process. As an employer, it is your responsibility to make sure the smooth transition between personnel. 

Feedback can help to improve retention

One of the best ways to improve retention is to know why your employees are leaving. Make sure you conduct an exit interview. Exit interviews are designed to gather feedback from leavers, with a view to providing insight that can be used to make future employees less likely to leave the company.

Although you are probably facing a difficult conversation, it is valuable to learn what you can improve on.

Revise the job description

The job description likely needs some editing, especially if there have been changes within the company. Re-evaluate current business needs from the exit interview feedback. Address any comments from the leaving employee by creating a more balanced job.

Start the process early

Now you are ready to start looking for new talent, but make sure you are using the time you have left with your leaving employee first.

Notice periods range from a couple of weeks to a few months, ideally, your leaving employee will meet their replacement and handover the job effortlessly. But the recruitment process usually takes longer than that so the transition might not be as smooth as expected.

Give as much time needed for the leaving employee to create the content of the handover. This should be in written form with notes setting out key day-to-day activities and current issues.

How a good handover content looks like

An outline of key points, such as role expectations, is a good place to start. Through clearly defined tasks, the new employee will be able to learn the details of the role quickly and correctly. Don't forget to include other staff in the process as they might be able to contribute ideas.

The handover information should contain any unique knowledge or best practice information such as:

• A guide and timetable of day-to-day process

• A report of ongoing problems to be addressed

• A calendar of events and deadlines

• A list of key contacts

If the leaving employee was working on a key high-responsibility job within the company, make sure they prepare formal reports and contact lists for each of their duties.

Recruit new talent and ensure the smooth transition of handover

Advertise the job in an attractive way and select the new employee fairly, ensuring the candidate’s skills and career aspirations address any issues arising from the exit interview.

Provide as much time as possible for the leaving employee to communicate all information from the handover documents to the new employee. The more time they spend together to talk about the current workload, the better.

If the meeting is not possible, make sure the leaving employee has all the prepared documents. The leaving employee should share the relevant documents with the new hire so they will be able to read and understand their responsibilities.

A potentially beneficial experience for the new employee might be shadowing how your leaving employee undertakes the duties connected to the role which would allow insight in the specifics of the job and an opportunity to ask questions.

Step in if needed

Sometimes it’s impossible for the leaving employee and the new hire to meet. This is your cue to step in as an employer and complete the handover process. After ensuring all the documents are ready and understanding the role and all it entails, you may bid farewell to the leaving employee.

This is one time when it is very important to ask if they will be available to contact, in case any trouble arises as the new employee would not have the chance to ask questions. Explain that you will do your best not to bother them, but emphasise on the fact that the better their handover notes, the fewer questions there are likely to be.
 

When the new hire arrives, meet with them and go through all of the documents as part of their induction to the company. Make them feel welcome and answer any questions they have to the best of your ability.

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This article is based on Polina Ganeva’s How to help leavers handle the handover process