Ideal Structure of an Offboarding Program
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What Is Offboarding and Why It Matters
- When to Start the Offboarding Process
- Key Goals of a Structured Offboarding
- Stakeholders in the Offboarding Process
- Ideal Structure of an Offboarding Program
- Exit Interview: Purpose and Sample Questions
- Legal, Financial & Compliance Considerations
- Tools and Templates to Use
- Final Thoughts
1. Introduction
While onboarding sets the tone for entry, offboarding defines how an employee leaves. A well-structured offboarding program isn't just about clearance and goodbyes—it’s about closing the employee lifecycle with dignity, clarity, and professionalism.
2. What Is Offboarding and Why It Matters
Offboarding refers to the structured process of managing an employee’s exit from the company. This includes compliance steps, knowledge handover, documentation, system deactivation, and formal exit interviews.
Why it matters:
- Avoid legal and data risks
- Preserve employer brand and alumni network
- Extract valuable feedback
- Ensure business continuity
3. When to Start the Offboarding Process
- Immediately upon notice of resignation or termination
- Ideally within 1–2 days to allow smooth handover and HR planning
- Plan depends on exit type: voluntary, involuntary, retirement, or contract end
4. Key Goals of a Structured Offboarding
- Maintain professionalism and fairness
- Ensure compliance with local labor law
- Recover assets and deactivate access
- Preserve institutional knowledge
- Gain insights through exit interviews
5. Stakeholders in the Offboarding Process
- HR / People Operations
- Direct Manager
- IT/Facilities Team
- Finance/Payroll Team
- Legal Team (if needed)
6. Ideal Structure of an Offboarding Program
- Notification: Receive official resignation or issue termination notice
- Planning: Schedule last working day, communicate with teams, prepare documents
- Knowledge: Transfer Assign handover duties, document SOPs, train replacement if possible
- System Offboarding: Revoke system access, recover assets, update HRIS and tools
- Exit Interview: Conduct structured conversation with HR or manager
- Final Payroll: Calculate final wages, benefits, and issue exit documents
- Goodbye & Feedback: Farewell message, team notification, offer testimonials or references
7. Exit Interview: Purpose and Sample Questions
Exit interviews provide HR with unfiltered insights into the employee experience.
Purpose:
- Discover culture or management issues
- Understand reasons for leaving
- Collect feedback on team and processes
Sample Questions:
- Why did you decide to leave?
- What did you enjoy most/least about working here?
- How would you describe our management style?
- What could we do better for future employees?
- Would you recommend this company to others?
8. Legal, Financial & Compliance Considerations
- Prepare and sign separation agreement (if needed)
- Clear outstanding leave balance or notice period compensation
- Provide employment certificate or reference letter
- Document return and acknowledgment (laptop, ID card, etc.)
- Compliance with BPJS, tax, and final payroll laws
9. Tools and Templates to Use
- Offboarding Checklist (customized for role and reason of exit)
- Exit Interview Template (standard + open-ended questions)
- Asset Return Form
- Final Pay Approval Form
- Alumni Engagement Email Template
- Digital tools like Notion, Google Sheets, or HRIS dashboards help standardize the flow and minimize manual follow-up.
10. Final Thoughts
Offboarding may signal the end of employment—but it’s also a reflection of your HR maturity. Treating every exit with respect and structure not only protects the company, but often creates brand ambassadors out of former employees.