Personal breakups invoke images of tears and tantrums—and although the employer-employee relationship is not a romantic one, ending it can bring about the same feelings of tension.

Many issues are involved in an employee’s resignation: exit interviews, counter offers, and non-competes.

But according to Jennifer Ricci, strategic sourcing director at Manulife Financial, there are ways in which an employee can handle themselves to exit a company as gracefully as possible.

Dealing with the exit interview

The exit interview is a popular strategy for employers to openly and honestly discuss with their employees their reasons for leaving. Whether it be lack of advancement opportunities, long hours, or remuneration issues, the exit interview is both a diagnostic tool and a tactic for employers to improve their retention rates.

However, many people feel that the exit interview only serves the interests of the employer, and so it is meaningless for an employee who is leaving the company anyway.

“I do believe that exit interviews are somewhat pointless. When they’re leaving, it’s a little too late. Plus, you’re going to get an emotional response, so it’s not going to be very valid,” says Ricci.

But if it has come to that point, Ricci still believes that the exit interview can be beneficial for the employee if it serves as a relationship-building meeting.

“They should definitely give constructive feedback. And they should keep a tight lid on things that are derogatory,” says Ricci.

As Ricci points out, the exit interview can be a helpful tool in maintaining good relations and may leave the door open to re-employment in the future.

The exit interview can be a relationship-building meeting

When you’re being wooed into staying

Companies often present a counter-offer to the leaving employee in an attempt to win them back – usually in the form of higher pay and other benefits.
However, Ricci says that accepting a counter-offer is a bad career move that will only bring short-term satisfaction.

“Never accept a counter-offer from your current employer. It’s a tactic to keep an individual, but then you have to ask yourself, ‘Why am I leaving in the first place?’” says Ricci.

People leave a company for various reasons. Often, it’s because they’re unhappy where they are and are looking for career growth.

Counter-offers, for the most part, cannot provide the professional development that employees are looking for.

Remember why you’re leaving when considering a counter-offer

Getting around a non-compete

When an employee joins a technology company, they are usually required to a sign non-compete and/or a confidentiality agreement. These agreements are designed to protect a company’s intellectual property.

If there is a non-compete, Ricci says that resigning employees should wait out the period that was agreed upon.

“When you signed into that contract, it was in good faith. If you’re going to be sneaky, you’ll probably get a letter on your doorstep. So it’s best to address those things when you’re leaving, and be very open,” says Ricci.

Employees can try to negotiate the terms of the agreement by talking to corporate councils in the organization.

“Talk to corporate councils to reduce the period, or eliminate the person from the account list,” says Ricci.

Nonetheless, Ricci stresses the importance of being open and communicative about all contracts and agreements that were made with the company beforehand.

Be open about all contracts and agreements

Headhunters

Being headhunted is a common phenomenon for technology professionals.

According to Suzanne Hyatt, Human Resources manager with Tech Capital Partners, a venture capital firm, the way an employee should deal with recruiters depends on how satisfied they are in their current work environment.

“If they’re happy, then it’d be to their benefit to talk to their manager and tell them what offer is put in front of them. Tell them what attracts them in this new offer and assess if they can achieve that in their current organization,” says Hyatt.

But if an individual wants to leave their current employment, Ricci says that they have no reason to tell their employer that they were being headhunted into a new job.

“It’s not something that needs to be disclosed. You can only be recruited if you were open to it,” says Ricci.

Both Hyatt and Ricci agree that divulging information about headhunting depends on the circumstances of an employee’s resignation.

Giving notice

In Canada, giving two weeks notice is the law, unless otherwise negotiated in the contract.

“Some contracts say three weeks, some say four weeks. It depends what level of employment you’re at. If you’re a professional and you don’t want to burn bridges, then three weeks is a reasonable amount of time,” says Ricci.

Give at least two weeks notice so you don’t burn bridges

Ultimately, the decisions that an employee makes when exiting a company should very much depend on the type of relationship they have with their employer. When faced with resignation issues, the employee should think about maintaining networks.

This gives the departing employee a better chance of getting a good reference from their employer, or being welcomed back in the future.

In the end, it’s always nice to know that you can remain friends, even after breaking up.