How To Write A Resignation Email
More of us are saying goodbye to our jobs. In September, more than 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs, setting a new record, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Once you have decided to leave your job, the next step is how. Quitting can happen immediately if you reach a toxic breaking point, but if you want to maintain working relationships, a tip-off gives the company and your boss more time to prepare for your departure.
In a world where you have a relationship worth maintaining with your boss, you should share your resignation face to face, then follow up with an email which is a formality for HR.
In these cases, the conversation is an opportunity for you to share specific comments about how the job or your boss benefited them, so that it helped them walk away like a conversation that strengthened your relationship and made it easier for them to do so. Be your own advocate as you leave, said Phoebe Gavin, a career coach who specializes in supporting early and mid-career professionals. After that conversation, you can ask your boss to whom you should address the formal resignation.
said Jurick Ng, Harvard career counselor and author of The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career Right.
“It also means that your immediate supervisor should be the first to hear about your departure. You don’t want them to hear about it through some rumor or from their boss.”
Wherever you are with your boss, it will be necessary to send a resignation email to inform the company of your impending departure. Here’s how to write it tactfully, including what to say and what’s best to leave out.
Do you share your last day. Other details are a compliment.
Victorio Milian, HR consultant at Homeriso, sees the email as a brief formality. “I really just need to understand when you state your resignation and when is your last day,” he said. “Often, I already know the reasons behind the resignation.”
Milian said the email also lets HR know how much lead time they have to hire. Send it to key people in the organization who need the information, like your boss or HR, and let your other colleagues know face to face.
Jessica Hernandez, a career development coach, also recommends indicating your willingness to help pass on your responsibilities to others while you find a replacement. If appropriate, she said, you could mention a thing or two that meant a lot to you while working for the company.
Gavin said that even if it’s just a formal resignation email to HR, it’s a good idea to send a thank you note to prevent the email from appearing offensive.
“You never want to make an enemy of HR, even if your immediate supervisor is terrible,” Gavin said. “There are a lot of things from an outside perspective that you will really need HR for, and you may need to come back with them afterwards because you have questions.”
Keep in mind that giving a two-week notice of resignation is standard, but it’s a compliment to your boss, not a binding requirement. If you want to ask for less time, speak with your manager in person before sending your resignation email, recommended Danny Spiros, vice president of people at software company Zenefits.
You could say something like, “I want to help make the transition smooth. I think we can make that happen in a couple of weeks or less. Should we take the time to talk through a plan?” he previously told HuffPost.
Resignations are usually annoying to teams, but you can reduce this by timing them appropriately for colleagues with whom you want to stay on good terms. Ng said, consider sending your resignation when colleagues don’t feel like you’re spoiling them, rather than sending it right before the big deadline when everyone is counting on you.
Don’t share why you left and what you will do next.
The resignation email is intended to provide the logistics of your departure; It shouldn’t have room for you to vent.
“Many people feel compelled to explain why they chose to leave or where they are going next. These are not necessary in your resignation letter and can be discussed in a one-on-one meeting afterward,” Hernandez said. “Whether you share this information is a personal choice.”
Gavin recommended booking these ideas for your termination interview, or for a one-on-one conversation with your boss if they ask you for more details directly.
“The big conversation about why you’re leaving, where you’re going, what we can do better — that kind of thing is the termination interview. That’s not the purpose of the resignation email,” she said.
In the end, worrying about choosing between a “resignation notice” or “thank you for the opportunity” as your email subject line may not be the best use of your time. Gavin’s advice is not to overthink.
“If you’re going to put your emotional energy into thinking about how you’re leaving, put all that energy into transforming your relationships from being co-workers to being members of your professional network,” Gavin said. “This is a better use of your energy than pressing resignation letter via email.”