TAKE A MOMENT
Deciding to leave your job should not be a knee jerk reaction to your work circumstances. Take a moment to reflect, consider your position, work out your options. You are in control of the situation; give yourself time to make this a positive move.
HOW TO POSITIVELY RESIGN
Moving jobs is fairly common so you are not alone. Leaving the job is a process, you have contractual obligations to fulfil, a reputation to protect and a network to maintain. The process needs to managed, maintaining your relationships both within the workplace and within the wider network will be essential to your future career prospects. Try to remember this is a marathon not a sprint. You might even be in a position to negotiate a shorter notice period or an improved contract with a new employer.
KNOW YOUR VALUE
Understanding your market value is crucial throughout the job change process. You can assess your current position against other jobs in the market. This background research will give you an advantage when negotiating your new employment package.
Your background research will also give you a good idea of how the resignation process might go when you do decide to resign. The specifics of your contract and resignation process will depend on your industry standards and your level within the company and most of all your value on the job market.
ARE YOUR SKILLS IN DEMAND?
As with all markets the job market is dictated by the laws of supply and demand. Where there are shortages of skills and experiences the competition for staff with them will be higher. Therefore your negotiating position is stronger.
The opposite is also true, where the market is flooded with staff with specific skills, businesses can offer lower salaries.
Your background research will be very useful when it comes to negotiating terms with your new employer.
Reflect on whether this is the right time to move on. Are you just feeling burnt out and need a break? Jumping ship right now could be damaging to your career.
The most in-demand worker will frequently have contracts with a longer notice period and possibly even clauses preventing them from joining a competitor for a set period of time.
You need to thoroughly check your current contract terms in readiness for leaving your job.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE
Starting the leaving process might be the first time you have really looked at what’s out there against what you currently have. This could be the first time you have considered why you want to leave.
Money is often not the driving factor in changing jobs. Work-life balance, job satisfaction, promotion opportunities are all strong reasons for people leaving. Once your employer realises they are losing you they might be prepared to look at other job satisfaction concerns and make changes that will keep you in post. Seriously consider whether this is worth more to you than what a rival can offer.
Equally, another employer might be able to offer you all the things you are looking for and a job change might renew your enthusiasm for your work.
HOW TO RESIGN
Start the process by arranging a private meeting with your manager. Use this chance to explain the situation, briefly outlining why you’re thinking of leaving. You can disclose as much or as little about any job offer but if you are open to negotiating the decision you can choose to reveal specific details.
Your manager may ask for feedback on why you’re leaving. Again, you don’t have to answer. You do, however, have to weigh up how you respond. On the one hand, you want to be useful and constructive to maintain good relations. On the other hand, you don’t want to say too much and risk offending them. You can use your considerate transition plans as a clear sign you’ve thought about their side of the situation too.
You could simply hand in your notice by formally telling your employer you’re leaving. Work your notice period and leave.
Keeping your eye on the future ahead of you, the resignation process needs to be handled carefully and with your career firmly in mind. The benefits to a well managed exit are plentiful. As we said earlier:-
- Your employer might give you a counter offer
- Protect your reputation
- Ensure your leaving does not negatively impact on future references
- Protect your network
Make sure you keep the leaving process a smooth as possible.
YOU’RE COLLEAGUES
You have a duty to handle the news of your leaving with sensitivity to your colleagues.
Your line manager should be first to know and once your leaving is agreed then agree with the manager how to inform your colleagues.
Remember your colleagues are your future network, let them know that you are aware and sympathetic to any additional strain your leaving might put onto their workload.
Be pro-active – work with your line manager and colleagues to productively train up new people or pass on your existing work with sound information.
Provide an information chain – give your line manager or colleagues an email address or phone number where you can be contacted for any queries. Offer to negotiate with your future employer to come back to support any training required. Future employers will see this action as a sign of your values e.g. integrity and loyalty.
FORMALLY HANDING IN YOUR NOTICE
Formal resignation will require you to put your intentions into writing. This is part of your contractual obligation.
After you have navigated the official meeting, you don’t have to hand in your letter of resignation immediately. Feel free to ask for time to think if you need it.
A good resignation letter will be short, professional and demonstrate that you will honour your contractual terms (by working your notice, for example). Once that’s submitted and accepted, you cannot take it back without the agreement of your boss.
HOW TO RENEGOTIATE YOUR NOTICE PERIOD
Your notice is a legal requirement set out in the terms of your contract. There are a number of circumstances in which you and/or your employer may change, reduce or waive your notice period.
Contractual Clauses
In some industries, it’s common to place an employee on ‘gardening leave’ when they move to a rival. This means that you’ll remain employed by your company, and paid for your notice period, but you won’t be allowed to work for them – or to join your new employer. It’s used as a way of preventing you taking contacts, clients or intellectual property with you when you leave.
Some contracts also allow for ‘pay instead of notice’. Usually applied in cases of redundancy, rather than resignation, this allows the company to pay your wages without you needing to come to work; it functions a little like gardening leave. If you think your job change warrants it, you can negotiate this outcome even if your employer has not offered it. This may be useful if you are going to work for a competitor.
Another useful tool in negotiating shorter notice periods is your annual leave. Contractually, your employer has to pay you for any outstanding leave. It’s not unusual to request that the leave be offset against your notice instead. So if you have a four week notice period and a week of holiday, you can ask to just work three weeks instead of getting the extra holiday pay.
WORKING YOUR NOTICE
Your notice period can often feel awkward. Instead of gaining duties and responsibility you will have them taken away from you. You may be required to train up a replacement.
If you work with sensitive information, or have close client relationships, your employer may choose to remove your access. This is a precautionary measure to prevent you taking valuable clients or information to a rival, so you shouldn’t take it personally.
During this period remember to maintain good relationships.