Phasing out of the Workplace
Phasing out of the Workplace
Q. My retirement is just around the corner. I have told my boss that I plan on retiring at the end of the summer, but ever since then it seems like people have been treating me differently. I am excited to retire, but I want to stay busy at work in the meantime. Do you have any tips for transitioning out of the workplace?A.
Congratulations on your impending retirement- exciting times ahead. Many soon-to-be retirees experience a similar dilemma as most bosses will not assign long-term projects to departing employees. Managers often don’t know how to capture all you have to offer. Great managers team up with retiring employees over as much time as possible to work through the steps needed complete a knowledge transfer and succession planning.
If your manager, or HR isn’t sure how to process, take the lead. Communicate your knowledge to others. One of the most valuable assets of longer tenured staff is the wealth of accumulated experience. Your experience may be formal, informal, gained through trial and error, or former instruction. Through your manager or HR, offer to meet with younger or newer employees to discuss some of the finer points of business; the unwritten rules and best practices of a successful employee at your firm. Take pride in making the next generation of workers as competent as yours.
- Ask for a shadow. Team with a newer employee to complete remaining projects. Document process, issues, challenges, and the secrets to making things happen. Management then has transitions in place for all active work products, and built-in training materials for whoever will take over some of your responsibilities.
- Get involved in the hiring process. This is a great, short-term assignment for a retiring employee. After all, no one knows the job better than you. Identify skills and competencies needed for the role to be handled most effectively. Your input will assist management in selecting the best candidate to take over when you leave.
- Offer to provide training after your full-time days are over. Many organizations need some kind of transition support and there may be a role for you if you are interested.
Slowing down in the office can give you the time needed to support others, so try to start that adjustment once you announce your intention to retire. Focus on how you can help the firm become even better in the future by using the expertise you have built over many years.
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