Do you want to quit? Then you should think carefully about what you want to communicate when writing your resignation letter. The head of a headhunter agency shows the three worst mistakes.
The job is lousy, so is the pay, the team is just annoying – the boss too, of course. The food in the canteen is inedible and this constant overtime! There are a number of reasons why you might quit your job. According to a survey by the salary portal “gehalt.de” and the compensation consultancy Compensation Partner, it is mainly the boss who drives employees to flight. After all, 45 percent of those surveyed said the boss was the reason for the termination.
But even if the grouchy superior is driving you crazy, you should be aware that the job world is a village. “It’s a small world and every little thing – from the way you communicate the message to the letter of resignation – will help or hinder you later,” writes Gary Burnison, head of a headhunting agency at “”.
The letter of resignation is an official document and Burnison recommends: “Less is more.” But unfortunately, with his 20 years of experience, he can only say that most of these letters were just catastrophic. He can summarize them in three categories:
1. “Burn down all bridges behind you” letter
No matter what negative experiences you have had in the workplace – you should not use the letter of resignation to knock these on the ears of the HR department. Burnison emphasizes that as an employee you might need letters of reference later. And then it would be problematic to burn down all bridges to the old employer.
2. “List all the points that interfere” letter
The letter of resignation is certainly not the right way to vent, Burnison said. The reasons why you leave the company are not important here. That is true even if there was a clear reason why you wanted to leave. “This is a discussion you should have with your manager before you send the letter,” he continues.
3. “Hardly existent” letter
Even if the expert’s motto is “less is more”, impersonal two-line lines annoy him. “I hereby quit my job. My last day of work is June 30, 2019” is unprofessional. And for lazy.
Letter of resignation that he liked
Burnison reports that he received a letter that impressed him. As an introduction, the former employee referred to a meeting – apparently he had initially informed his boss orally about the termination. A good and fair move that also made it easier for the employee to write the letter. In the first paragraph he also lists when he will leave the company.
In the second paragraph, the employee thanks them for learning a lot and enjoying the time at the company. In addition, he would like to thank the boss who supported him.
In paragraph 3 he explains how he envisions the exit. He offers to screen suitable candidates for his post. In addition, he announces a memo to simplify the handover.
Before saying goodbye, he asks that the boss let me know if there is anything else to make the change as easy as possible.
All the essential details are listed, said Burnison. In addition, the letter is positive, polite and constructive.
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
