Resignation Process

Resignation Process
You are now at the end of the process. Having secured a new opportunity, it is now time to resign from your current role. Remember we are here to help and support you through this process. There are always a number of reasons why you have decided to resign, you need to be 100% sure that you are doing the right thing.

This can often feel uncomfortable, but try not to let it make you feel too nervous; you need to do what’s best for you and your career. But it’s not as simple as handing in your letter and saying goodbye. You don’t want to leave your job on a bad note, so make sure you follow the proper channels and stay out your notice period. If you have never resigned before, or if it’s been a while, here's all you need to know about handing in your notice and leaving your job gracefully.

Our Consultants are here to help you throughout this process

Book your meeting

Once you feel completely ready to resign from your job, book this meeting with your line manager. It’s time to hand in your letter. Explain this situation to them and find out what the next steps are. You can also take this opportunity to find out what they would like you to do in the way of handing over your responsibilities.

Prepare for any outcome

Even if you have a good relationship and they are usually friendly, you should still prepare yourself for a negative reaction. Though hopefully, they will be accepting, you need to remember that they are losing a member of staff and now have to begin preparing for your departure. This is especially true if your resignation has come quite suddenly. So don’t take it personally if they are uncharacteristically quiet or don’t react as you had hoped, sometimes it can come as a surprise to them. If you have a notice period, generally you will be expected to work as normal for the duration of this. However, you should prepare for all eventualities. Some employers may ask you to leave with immediate effect. If they do, you can ask for the reason behind your immediate dismissal. But try not to let it get personal and cause a dispute. Instead, leave gracefully as requested. It is useful to be aware that if this happens, the company will still have to pay you for your contractual notice period as normal.

Counter offer

You should also prepare yourself for a counteroffer. If your current employers really want to keep you, they might approach you with a counteroffer in an attempt to get you to stay. Prepare for this situation by thinking about why you are leaving – is a pay rise or better benefits enough to make you stay? Or, is it time to move on? You may not be able to make a final decision until you have seen the counteroffer, but just be aware. But, just be aware that this could happen.

Handing in your notice and leaving on good terms

Now you have decided it’s time to resign from your job there are a few things you need to do to prepare for leaving. If you are unsure about the process of handing in your notice, you could always double-check the staff handbook and look into your contract to confirm your notice period.

Next, you’ll need to think about writing your formal letter and whether or not you want to request an exit interview. You should also prepare yourself for all possible outcomes, always be prepared for every eventuality. Talk to our consultants we have the experience to help.

Writing your resignation letter

First and foremost you have to write your letter of resignation. This doesn’t have to be long, and you don’t have to go into detail about your reasons for leaving. You should set your letter out like a formal letter as it’s usually a formality for HR and will go on your employment records. Once you know you are leaving, don’t tell anyone else until your boss knows. Even if you think you can trust your colleagues, office gossip is inevitable and these things always seem to have a way of getting out. Your Line Manager will be much happier to hear that you have decided to leave directly from you, rather than hearing it through the grapevine before you have had a chance to tell them. It can be an uncomfortable conversation to have, but once you have decided to leave, it’s going to have to happen at some point. Don’t put off handing your notice in, get the ball rolling as soon as you can. During the conversation with your boss, be sure to stay strong! It’s difficult for any boss to hear that a member of their staff wants to leave, particularly because they now have to find a replacement for your position.