A ping sound notifies you of the email you have been waiting for all week: The offer letter for your dream position is finally here! If you have been a ‘’good candidate’’, following the advice from my previous blogs by disclosing your current package and clarifying your expectations correctly, the number on that dummy payslip should be a reason to pop the champagne tonight. For now, a little internal victory dance (or a contained screech in a private boardroom), would do just fine. Well done to you, your job seeking journey is almost finished.
“Almost…what do you mean by almost?”
Well, before signing on the dotted line, make sure that you understand all the aspects of the Employment Contract and Dummy Payslip presented to you by the new company. (If no dummy payslip is included, please request one to review and use the guidelines provided in my previous blog to ascertain precisely what the numbers entail.) If you have any questions or need clarification regarding certain parts, have a discussion with your Recruitment Agent, or if you applied directly, the Human Resources Consultant at the new organisation would be able to assist you accordingly.
Do not sign until you resign, or should you?
Think very carefully prior to putting your “paw print” on a contract of employment and hitting the send button. You are officially committing yourself to another organisation, and this is a binding contractual agreement you are signing.
Are you ready to do this? Signing an employment contract, only to negate or retract later (usually fear of change or counteroffer issues are the main culprits), may lead to certain legal ramifications as a company would be well within their rights to sue you for breach of contract. Luckily this rarely happens, but the reputational risk to your level of integrity is massive, and you would probably not have another chance at that specific organisation again. Also, chances are you would be back in the market, (and desperate) within 3-6 months’ time.
My advice would be to sign that employment contract and emotionally finalise the process in your mind, before you schedule the resignation meeting with your current manager.
R-Day: What can you expect?
The resignation event is a stressful occurrence, and whether this is your first time or your fourth time, it is never easy to tell someone that you are leaving. You are actually breaking up with your current organisation to pursue greener pastures at another employment company. Like with most things in life, planning for Resignation Day is crucial. The following pointers may steer you in the right direction:
- Craft a well-structured, concise resignation letter (you are not writing an essay, but neither a telegram.) Your resignation letter should contain the official date of your resignation period effective from x date up until your last day. Thank your manager for the time you have spent under his/her supervision and mention one or two points of value gained during the duration of your employment. Enquire about the handover process and commit to giving your full cooperation to the parties involved. Ending off the letter could include wishing the company (or manager) all the best in their future endeavours. That’s it, no soppy stories or elaborate explanations regarding your reasons for leaving. Remember to date your letter and sign
- Once the letter is written, you should start contemplating the different ways in which the resignation meeting may transpire on the day. A “bon voyage”, thank you for your contributions and good luck with your future career, is the best option to hope for, but unfortunately, things don’t always pan out this way. Expect adverse reactions that can range from awkwardness, sour grapes, disappointment or even anger. Your departure is creating an annoyance after all. Someone needs to pick up the slack of your responsibilities if a replacement employee cannot be found in time and as we all know, sourcing new candidates involve an array of its own challenges and tribulations. An unexpected counteroffer, may also be presented during this meeting…..STEP AWAY FROM THAT VEHICLE! Research has shown that the majority of candidates who accept counteroffers are back in the market again after just six
- Resign as soon as possible. Schedule a meeting with your boss, within 48 hours after you have sent your signed offer letter your new employer.
- During this discussion, politely state your decision to resign (primarily using your written resignation as a summary of what to say). Badmouthing colleagues or getting into the gory details of what you hated most about your job should be avoided at all costs. This is not World War II, keep the bridge intact and don’t blow up a crossing that you may need to use again during the years to come. Enquire whether you are going to be responsible for informing your colleagues, or if your manager will be taking up this task via an official meeting or email notific
Behind Enemy Lines
The resignation month is coming up. Thirty days until arrival at your new company destination. This can be quite a lonely period, where you could feel ostracised to a certain extent as you may be excluded from discussions regarding future projects or meetings where strategic issues are being addressed. (This is normal, you are the one leaving remember).
Stay in touch with your new employer; they will probably do the same. Request an informal meeting to be introduced to the rest of the team you will be working with or ask whether there is any preliminary information you can read through, before commencing employment. Stick to your guns and do not entertain any further attempts to entice you to reverse your decision to move. Now is not the time to arrive late, leave early or take extended lunch breaks. You want to leave with your integrity and professionalism intact.
Final Logistics
If you were using any company equipment like tablets, laptops or smartphones, make sure you give those back in good working order and adequately cleaned: physically and digitally. That can of Coke split across your keyboard or the drunken pics you took at last year’s office party, should not be part of the legacy you leave behind.
Also, inquire with both your current and new employer (usually HR) regarding the transfer of your pension fund and your transition to the new medical aid if applicable.
Be mindful of the fact that you may not have an email address for the first few days in your new position, thus set up a forwarding function for any personal correspondence that is not directed to your private email already. You should add an automated response function to your email (get permission first), indicating that you are no longer employed at the company and providing details of a relevant contact person still employed to handle any correspondence or enquiries going forward.
Contact your new employer during the last week your resignation period to ascertain the time of arrival on your first day and who the relevant person is that is going to meet you at reception.
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