Is there a proper way to quit a job? Ask HR
Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles your human resources questions as part of a series for Paste BN. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world's largest HR professional society and author of "Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.”
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Question: I just started my first job after graduating in May. The employee manual outlines the process for resigning, and co-workers have shared their tips. Does it really matter how you quit if you don't plan to return? –Dean
Answer: Congratulations on graduating and starting your new job! Also, thank you for asking, as this is a question I get often. From a worker's perspective, how you leave a job may not seem to matter. After all, it’s just you and an employer who you probably won’t work for again. However, in the context of your professional career, how you resign can help or hurt you in the long run.
First, there are several practical reasons to provide sufficient notice.
One, it may be required by your employer's policies or contract. Employers usually require a resignation notification period from departing employees. This is often a two-week notice, but it may be longer for higher-level positions. If an employee fails to comply with the terms of a contract, they may be held liable for breach of contract and may be sued by the employer.
A notification period benefits the employer by allowing them time to recruit, hire, and train their replacement before or shortly after the current employee leaves. The notice period may allow for knowledge transfer and the completion of work projects. The information technology department can benefit from advance notice to avoid the duplication of client lists, intellectual property, contact lists, and other data to which an employee may have access before their departure.
Another reason notice matters is that some states govern the payout of accrued and unused leave to departing employees and may specify the timeframe for paying their final paycheck. The notice period allows employers time to pay accurately and in a timely manner.
There may also be terms or conditions in a contract or policy about how employees must communicate resignations. Most employers request a letter of resignation to confirm that an employee has resigned and wasn't terminated.
There are even more compelling reasons why giving ample notice benefits you.
When you step into a job, realize the setting is not static. People are going to come and go, jobs are going to shift, and companies are going to change. Think of each job, each workplace, each relationship as an intersection. We carefully consider how we build our resumes by combining our education, experiences, and skills at these intersections. How we build our relationships and reputations with the people who understand and respect our value and professionalism is just as critical. Resigning without notice hurts your employer, but your former colleagues feel the impact the most. They are likely responsible for picking up the slack or forced to figure out the nuances in the work you know intimately. So, how we exit our career intersections determines if our relationships and reputations remain intact.
The world is smaller than it appears. Your specific industry is an even smaller world that gets even smaller, especially as workers’ career paths take them to different employers across an industry. People talk, and not just to your references. They often reach out for feedback to people they know personally who've worked with you.
Even if your first job is not a high-profile, glamorous position, don't behave according to the position; behave according to the position you want to be in.
Throughout your career, you’ll likely encounter challenging co-workers, ineffective managers, and toxic work environments. How you leave a job says more about you than your employer. How you transcend negative experiences will carry you further and to better opportunities.
When you’re just getting established, you don’t know many people, but as you grow in your career, you develop relationships with people who can advocate for you even when you’re not in the room. A significant portion of your career path is relationship-based. Ultimately, damaging your reputation limits your future opportunities. Instead, the people you work with should expand your professional network. Cultivating strong relationships yields more options and more career flexibility down the line.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Paste BN.