Suggestions On Employee Exit Process

Hello,

Please go through the scenario:

I am working in an IT firm ("ABC") as a HR personnel. One of the permanent employee of ABC put his resignation as he got better opportunity in other location. As per the process he had to serve his 60 days notice period in ABC but he requested to let him leave in 30 days. Due to major dependencies after discussing with the project manager I asked him to line up his project as he was in a major role in that project. He agreed to my point and continues with the notice period. After serving 20 days of Notice Period suddenly he did not come to office, switched off his phone. We tried all possible ways to get connected. But we failed. He even did not delegate the project code to the TL. So after trying 10 days one day with the fear of legal actions, he called and delegated all the codes but still it was very hard to reshape the project. The discussion point is I don't want to any one else follow the same.

So, please suggest me what actions I can take to make him aware about the professionalism as well as make others aware about the policies.

Thanks.

Any suggestions please. I guess here i am expecting some expert suggestions.

Hello,

This is one of the downsides of the current 'absconding' mentality of many employees.......especially in the IT sector.

Your query has 2 parts--(1) ensuring the employees adhere to the Notice Period norms & (2) ensuring the work is not unduly effected IN CASE the employee leaves earlier [whatever be the modus-operandi].

Addressing Part (2) first, let's accept one reality here.

Most Companies in IT Sector want the guys to JOIN ASAP when it comes to them......BUT LOATHE to relieve earlier. I am not sure to what extent your Company agrees to wait for any Joinee to complete his/her NP before joining you......but many, if not most, IT Companies don't.

Without even realizing, the mental/psychological foundation has already been laid even before the employee joins you. Invariably, the unwritten message that goes across to the individual is 'it's OK to vanish IF it suits you'. Just see the many threads in citeHR.

Action Point-1:

Suggest plan things better to ensure that the waiting time--while the Joinee completes his/her NP in the earlier Company--is factored into your hiring process. This is surely NOT just related to the HR Dept.....a lot of involvement WILL have to be from the technical/project guys, since it's THEY who will be finally effected.

'Just-in-time' hiring is all fine in concept, but unless such factors aren't taken into account, it's ALSO a sureshot strategy to have the situations you are now facing.

Action Point-2:

Though I can't really generalize this, many IT Companies begin the handing-over process [KT] almost @ the fag-end of the NP.

I have known cases when even the identification of the alternate employee who will take-over wasn't done until a week before the NP completion.....and then the employee is asked to stay back for another week or so. I also know of extreme cases when more projects were assigned during the NP.

The only way to handle a situation where the work is NOT effected IF an employee vanishes mid-way thru the NP is to begin planning the KT within a few days after resignation acceptance........presuming the acceptance is within a few days of resigning. Here again, I know of cases where the Acceptance wasn't given until mid-way of the NP, whereby the employee is thoroughly disenchanted & frustrated. What interest can one expect from such an employee who begins to get a feeling that he/she is being put/hung on a thread? In the long-run it's the Company which will suffer......as the KT is done more for the sake-of-doing than otherwise.

However, this is NOT to say that there won't be any smart-alecs who think they can get away by absconding despite the most professional treatment by the Company......there surely will be now & then. You have got to expect them...BUT more as an exception than as a Rule.

This is where HR has to lay-down the ground Rules immediately after the resignation.....during the usual brain-washing sessions that happen after a resignation.

This is easier for an IT Company....since source codes, etc are involved that can lead to legal tangles for the Company & the employee IF he acts funny. During this meeting, it's always better to lay-down the broad timelines for the Relieving process vis-a-vis the stages in the process like, identification of taking-over person, KT, etc--which means all the steps have to be thought-out EARLIER by HR & the technical leads/bosses.

That would ensure BOTH the Company & the employee are clear about the process & timelines.......and more importantly the employee also gets to know WHAT CAN happen IF he breaks the Rules of this game in his/her last lap with this Company.

Coming to Part (1) of your query, this essentially is a CULMINATION of the effects of the process implementation of Part-2. It would take some time, but as long as any employee knows that the whole process is fair & transparent AND what would happen IF any tricks are tried, people are more than likely to get into the groove.

All the Best.

Rgds,

TS