A fellow CEO told me not long ago, “One of our former employees who left more than a year ago still has access to our internal systems.” It’s not the first time I’ve heard this kind of comment: a friend mentioned that his wife, working at a large tech company (I won’t mention which), still has her old laptop despite being sent her upgrade five months ago.
In fact, this is a familiar scenario for anyone working in IT or operations. It might seem funny, but it’s a reminder of something all too often overlooked: while companies invest a lot of energy and resources in getting people in the door (onboarding), we often forget about the other end of the lifecycle (offboarding). And when it comes to remote onboarding vs remotely offboarded employees, the situation worsens.
Remote Offboarding: The Quiet Risk
Offboarding is an opportunity to protect your data, your culture, and your brand. Done well, the employee remains an advocate for your company, and, importantly, your data is protected. When you don’t do it right, though, you’re left with access vulnerabilities, unhappy former employees, and a messy handover for the teams that stay behind. This translates into wasted time, compliance risks, and a damaged reputation.
The Impact of Poor Offboarding
Let’s go further into what each of these can mean to you:
- Security Vulnerabilities: Without a structured offboarding process, past employees often retain access to sensitive systems and data. Nudge Security reports that IT organizations spend an average of 5 hours per employee revoking cloud and SaaS access, yet 70% have experienced issues due to ineffective offboarding.
- Brand Reputation: Departing employees can become brand ambassadors (or detractors). The Peak-End Rule, a concept in psychology, suggests that people judge an experience based on how they felt at its most intense point (the peak) and at its end. A positive offboarding experience can lead to favorable reviews and referrals, while a negative one can harm your company’s image.
- Operational Disruptions: Improper offboarding can result in lost knowledge, disrupted workflows, and decreased morale among remaining team members. As ClickUp correctly notes, it’s common to notice “a dip in employee engagement after a high performer exits.” Don’t forget that employee’s influence on those who will remain in the company.
Why You Should Invest in Offboarding
According to Newployee, companies with structured offboarding processes save 25% on post-departure costs. Plus, 45% of ex-employees who leave on a high note are more likely to recommend you to others. That alone should be enough to get you interested in offboarding – but what if you can’t spend the extra time?
How Busy Companies Can Get It Right
- Automate Processes: Implement tools to automate account deactivation, equipment retrieval, and knowledge transfer.
- Use IT Logistics Solutions for Remote Offboarding: Reliable ITAM software with built-in logistics can get your employee’s laptop (and the data that goes with it) securely picked up and the data wiped, then stored or sent back to the company.
- Conduct Exit Interviews: Never underestimate feedback to understand areas of improvement and maintain positive relationships – it works both ways.
- Revoke Access Promptly: Ensure all system accesses are revoked on or before the employee’s last day.
- Celebrate Contributions: Acknowledge the departing employee’s achievements to leave a lasting positive impression. I might add here: even if the company has terminated the employment, there’s always something to highlight, and it can take the edge off that sour exit.
Our Commitment
That CEO’s story delivers a cautionary tale: it’s too easy to forget about offboarding when you’re focused on growth and new hires. If you don’t manage the exit properly, however, it becomes an ongoing risk as well as a missed opportunity.
As a CEO myself, I see it as part of our commitment to our people (whether they’re joining or leaving). Offboarding – and as a distributed team ourselves, sometimes remote offboarding – is the final chapter in the employee lifecycle, and it should be handled with as much care and respect as the first.
Let’s give offboarding the attention it deserves.
Interested to see how Dots can help with remote offboarding, security compliance, and generally save you time and money? Book a demo today; we’ll get you set up for free in no time.
