How to write an employee transition plan when offboarding

With the average job tenure at around four years in the US (and a whole lot of change taking place as part of the Great Resignation), no one should be surprised by voluntary employee departures anymore. Rather than treating employee departures as a taboo topic, it’s much more constructive to have a thoughtful offboarding process where managers work with their direct reports on a transition plan. 

If you’re the person who’s leaving, creating a transition plan can reduce friction from your departure. It helps ensure that your projects and relationships continue without too much disruption and provides guidance and support to the coworkers who will be taking over your tasks. It can also be a good opportunity to reflect on your hard work and all the contributions you’ve made to your company, which is never a bad thing!

So what exactly should you include in your transition plan? Here’s a guide for how to write one as well as a PDF template you can download.

Employee transition plan template

If you’re the employee who is voluntarily leaving, you will most likely be the person who creates your transition plan, though your direct manager is likely to review it closely and may ask you for additional information.

Here are the general categories you will probably want to include in your transition plan. Try to be as specific as possible and include your proposed timeline or schedule for any tasks you need to accomplish:

Role details and manager: [Provide an overview of your job, who you report to, and anyone you manage (if applicable).]

Regular duties and frequency: [Describe your regular duties, tasks, deadlines, and how often they occur. Check with your manager to see if they want you to recommend a successor for each duty and arrange time to train them.]

In-progress projects and upcoming deadlines and deliverables: [It’s rare to leave a job and completely wrap up every loose end. Chances are you will have some tasks or projects that are still in progress. Provide as much information and context as you can so the person who takes over these projects can do so with minimal friction. If you can, schedule time where you can demonstrate or walk through these projects with your successor. If this is not possible, you may want to document information in writing or video to make things easier for your future successor.]

Systems or relationships you own: [Are you the main administrator of any software or membership program or the main point of contact for any vendors or clients? If so, make sure you arrange for the transfer of duties and introduce the new point of contact for any vendor or client relationships. If you can’t make an official introduction (in the case when you don’t know who will be taking over the relationship), make sure you create a list with the contact details and any relevant information (e.g. any ongoing projects or outstanding invoices) for each person.

Your team (if applicable): [If you have direct reports, think about how you can make this transition as smooth as possible for them. Offer to schedule one-on-ones and leave time open on your calendar for them to drop by with questions. Make sure you’ve approved any of their pending requests (PTO, learning and development budget, etc.). What are your recommendations for who should manage them once you’re gone? Make sure you document anything their new managers should know (e.g. planned PTO, professional development goals, promotions or pay raises that are in progress).]

Managing the news of your departure: [Do you have any specific wishes or requests for how the news of your departure is shared with the rest of the team and company? What’s your preferred timeline for how this news gets communicated?] 

What to do after you fill out the transition plan

Once you’ve filled out your transition plan, you’ll want to schedule time with your manager to go over it. You can walk them through each of the sections, share your recommendations, and ask them about any outstanding items or things you’re unsure about. Your manager can weigh in with their suggestions, let you know if there’s anything you missed, and discuss the next steps with you. During this meeting, you can also review the communication plan for how you’ll inform the team and company about your departure and transition plan.