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How to Resign

13 Jan 2016

Brightwater Recruitment

With every new job offer, there can also be the tricky scenario of having to resign. In many cases, a resignation causes a lot of emotions on both sides but how do you avoid any bad feeling.......... Read on for our top tips:

What is the Ideal Way to Resign?

At Brightwater we would always recommend that you resign “graciously”.

It is always better to resign in a face-to-face meeting and bring your letter of resignation to that meeting (and be sure to keep a copy for yourself). Also, ensure that whoever is relevant in your reporting line (e.g. boss, line manager, HR manager) is present.

Resigning by letter only is quite cold and this is something that we would only recommend if your boss is based overseas so there is not opportunity for a face-to-face meeting. However in this case, we would recommend that you ring them and explain your reasons before sending the letter.

Airing Grievances

The time to do this is during annual appraisals and reviews. Some people use the resignation process to air grievances but this is not something that we would recommend in any circumstances.

Reasons for Resigning

Higher salary – If you are leaving for a bigger salary, then simply state that it is for financial reasons only and you have otherwise appreciated your time there and the chance to develop your experience with them.

Career progression – If you have been refused a promotion and have secured a higher level job elsewhere, don’t take your resignation as an opportunity to moan to your employer. The reasons they had for not promoting you in the first place still stand. Simply state that you feel you have learned all you can with them and you are taking this opportunity to develop your career elsewhere.

Current working environment – If you are leaving because you are having difficulties with your colleagues or the working environment  i.e. working hours or overburdened workload, you can state that in your resignation letter but ONLY if you have already addressed this with your employer and nothing has changed. Do not write a list of grievances in your letter and always make sure you “wish them well in the future of the business”.

HOT TIP! Remember Ireland (and in some industries the international job market) is quite small so if you behave badly during the resignation process, it may come back to bite you.

Always leave your employer on good terms where possible. References are also a concern and if you have behaved graciously during the whole process then you should leave knowing that your employer will only have good things to say about you.

Leave on Good Terms

No employer will want to see a valued employee leaving, particularly those who have a great knowledge of both the business and the actual role. Most employers are reasonable however and if the reasons for leaving are genuine, they are not going to begrudge you, particularly if you handle all aspects of the leaving process well. These aspects would include the following:

Honour your notice period

Honour your notice period as much as possible. It can be hard, especially if your new employer wants you to start right away, but you do have an obligation to your current employer to work the full notice period. Some employers will not pay you the notice period and you can leave on the day of resignation, but this is mainly in cases where you are leaving to work for a competitor.

Honour a “non-solicitation” clause

If you are going to a competitor, there may be some “non-solicitation” or “non-compete” issues to sort out, but only if they have been mentioned in your original employment contract.

Prepare for handover

Try not to leave your employer in the lurch. If you are leaving in the middle of a particularly heavy work load, ensure that your colleagues understand and can carry on with your work. If there is a new person coming in to replace you, try to stay with enough time for a smooth handover.

For further advice on your job search, talk to your Brightwater Consultant by contacting our office on: 

Dublin | +353 1 662 1000 | [email protected]
Cork | +353 21 422 1000 | [email protected]