When I’m preparing to go away a job, whether or not that’s for a vacation or for good, I’ll make certain to do a handover to my boss. That is likely to be so simple as a fast email or a dialog in our final 1:1, however typically it’s essential to do a bit greater than that.
I’ve by no means gone again to a previous employer (but, possibly I’ll at some point), however as 40% of individuals would think about returning to an employer, it’s value ensuring your exit is easy, skilled, and on good phrases. Because you by no means know. Best not to burn bridges.
A piece handover email to your manager is likely one of the steps to make the transition out of a job occur easily, and right here’s how to write one.
Why write a handover email?
Handovers are helpful if you may be out of the workplace for a while or eternally in case you are leaving your function. But you would possibly want to write one after you might have resigned or if you happen to’re occurring trip and your manager is protecting for you. You may additionally want to create a handover email for your boss when a undertaking is accomplished.
But why trouble? After all, it’s further give you the results you want, and maybe they don’t want to know an excessive amount of. Surely they know what you do all day already?
I don’t assume bosses do know what we do all day as a result of they’ve their very own jobs, they usually depend on us to do the work we’re paid to do. Therefore, a good handover email will:
- Help you allow on good phrases
- Save you time as your manager won’t have to contact you after you might have left
- Save your manager time (possibly they’ll recognize that and provide you with a nice reference)
- Mean that there are fewer errors, so if you happen to come again after your absence, you’ll have much less mess to clear up
- Be a information to your precise work and something that wants to be completed if you find yourself gone.
Tip
A handover email for your boss ought to be a abstract of conversations that you’ve already had. Ideally, you’ll have had a chance to discuss to them about your being out of the enterprise and what work shall be handed over to them.
Be skilled, be constructive, and be very clear.
How to write your handover notes
In my expertise, it’s troublesome to sit down and write all handover notes in a single go. That’s why I’d advocate beginning two to three weeks earlier than you go away and creating a doc you could then add to as time goes by.
Trust me, you’ll consider extra issues to add. The variety of little issues that we do each day and take without any consideration quickly begins to add up. This stuff can be useful to have in your handover message.
Give your self sufficient time to write. Your handover notes additionally imply any month-end or reoccurring processes will be included. If you solely take notes of the issues that you just have been doing on anyone particular person day, you would possibly miss out on some essential content material associated to the issues that take time at different factors through the month.
Start a doc in Microsoft Word and use that to add all of your notes. If you discover there actually isn’t that a lot to say, you may copy and paste the entire Word doc into your handover email. In actuality, I consider there may be doubtless to be an excessive amount of in detailed handover notes to make a coherent email. I’d advocate that you just embody a hyperlink to that doc in your handover message.
Include hyperlinks and sources
Include hyperlinks in your doc to the place your manager can present helpful info. For instance, screenshots or movies, walk-throughs of key processes, duties actions that you just do specifically software program purposes, or something that they could discover helpful. Especially in case you are resigning.
Include standing updates on excellent work
List out all of the issues you’re engaged on and the standing of every. Think about what you would wish to know if you happen to have been receiving a skilled handover – you’d want to know what to do and what to look out for, so embody any potential gotchas, dangers, and points as properly.
An incoming worker may also want to know who to contact, so be sure to’ve bought a complete contacts record to share.
Include day-to-day tasks
As properly as tasks, all of us have day by day duties and common conferences, so it’s value itemizing out all that, too. Whoever is the accountable individual for all of that may be thankful for any previous assembly minutes, agenda templates, and so forth to save them time and contribute to the graceful transition of tasks.
Include the following steps
Your handover email to your manager ought to embody the following steps for the formal handover course of or the upcoming plan. For instance:
- You are assembly with X to talk about one of many factors within the email
- You will ship an email to prospects to allow them to know you aren’t obtainable (record out which prospects in case you are solely sending to some)
- Thing Y ought to occur on this date after you might have left.
Explain that through the handover interval, you may be copying them into emails for info. Only add that, if you’ll. While I don’t like further emails for further emails sake, if I do know I’m going to find yourself with the duty of carrying on the work, having the background and context from the previous few weeks is admittedly useful.
You also can point out what you’ll say in your out of workplace message, in order that they know queries shall be directed to them.
Transfer key info to your resume
As a bonus, you should use the chance of making ready a handover report to take into consideration what you might have achieved. Copy any main deliverables and achievements to LinkedIn and likewise to your resume.
As you’re going by the trouble of figuring out what has been completed however nonetheless to do. You’ll most likely be serious about all of the stakeholders and tasks that you’ve labored on. These are all unbelievable objects to embody in your LinkedIn profile and might be good examples to use at an interview.
Read subsequent: How to Add Projects in LinkedIn.
Example: quick handover email to manager
Hello (manager title),
Please discover connected the handover doc (or hyperlink to Microsoft Teams file or folder) that we’ve mentioned. I hope you will see that in there every thing you want to handle whereas I’m away/after I’ve gone.
Please have a fast look by earlier than our last catch up dialog on (date), and we will undergo any final issues then.
Thank you very a lot.
Kind regards,
(title)
Example: longer handover email to manager
Hello (manager title),
As mentioned, listed below are my handover notes associated to my latest tasks.
Current tasks:
- Project one (standing, excellent actions, key stakeholders, deadlines, latest and ongoing points).
- Project two (standing, excellent actions, key stakeholders, deadlines, latest points).
Future upcoming work:
(Describe any present alternatives you’re engaged on or assume they might want to observe up for future initiatives.)
Outstanding actions:
(Include a description of the duty, the proprietor, the following step, and the date due – these ought to be stuff you haven’t been ready to end earlier than you go.)
Other tasks that I’m handing over:
Include your day-to-day duties and tasks, for instance, how to do software program duties the place you’re the knowledgeable, key processes and techniques, logins to key software program instruments, and who’s taking on from you.
In addition, I’ve created a record of key contact particulars, which you’ll find right here: (hyperlink).
Thanks very a lot for the chance to work on these tasks throughout my time within the function.
Or
I gained’t give you the option to decide up messages whereas I’m out, however I’ve blocked out my first day again to catch up, and I’ll put a while in your calendar then for a handback. I recognize you caretaking my work whereas I’m away – thanks!
Thanks and regards,
(title)
And you’re completed!
At the completion of the handover course of, you’ve removed all your duties, everybody is aware of what’s coming their means, and your manager has a handover mail that outlines and summarizes every thing they want to know.
You can prepare to go away with your head held excessive, figuring out you’ve completed a fab job of organising the one who takes over from you for fulfillment.
What to do now
If you’re wrapping up a undertaking, get my handover and transition plan template – it’s excellent for tying up the free ends, and I like to recommend you get as a lot as you may completed earlier than you go.
If you’re leaving the workplace for a trip and somebody is taking care of your work briefly, then it’s essential to plan for a lot extra than simply your last handover email. Read my 10 easy methods to put together a trip handover, and also you’ll give you the option to go away for your vacation prepared to absolutely destress and unwind!
