Who is this article for?
Anyone needing to transfer tasks, roles, or responsibilities from one employee to another.
According to Aberdeen Research, 71% of organizations have no formal handover process for staff transitions. A staff handover transfers tasks and responsibilities from one employee to another. Handovers are needed when a staff member transitions from the organization, moves roles, or changes to a different department. Utilizing a set process for various staff transitions (incoming or outgoing) minimizes organizational disruption while keeping work continuity and cultural confidence at a maximum. A structured process also helps keep emotions in check and ensures that each employee will be treated fairly and equally regardless of the situation.
Benefits of an Efficient Handover Processes
- Ensure a smooth transfer of information and data
- Less disruption to workflows and productivity
- Minimize the negative impact on the remaining staff
- Avoid misunderstandings and misalignment that can lead to severe repercussions later on
- Prevent and reduce ambiguity with job roles and responsibilities and ongoing projects
- Ensure cultural confidence and employee safety
Best Practices
- The transitioning/exiting staff is highly encouraged to lead the handover process if they leave or stay within the organization on reasonable terms.
- Managers and HR can provide guidance and collaborate with the existing staff to prepare or aid in the transition.
- A manager or HR member should have access to the handover document to ensure the handover process runs smoothly and double-check that every aspect is properly transitioned.
- It’s essential to have face-to-face conversations and discussions with the incoming employee or employee(s) assuming the tasks or responsibilities and a written document that outlines the structure and details of the handover.
- A handover document will contain what anyone in the role would need to know to succeed at their tasks and responsibilities. Information to be included:
- Daily tasks and processes with historical context
- Important day-to-day activities
- Access to relevant files and folders
- Logins and passwords
- Software guides and how-tos with relevant context on utility
- Tasks/Projects updates and deadlines
- Any ongoing issues
- Key personnel and collaborator's contact information and their roles within the project
- List of regular/recurring meeting dates and times with links to previous meeting recordings or notes for context
- Send new employee invites to all necessary meetings so they are set on their calendar
- Set up meeting times with other employees they will work with regularly to introduce and aid in the transition, as well as start a relationship before the current employee's exit
- List of key contacts (internal and external)
- A clear timeline needs to be set to conduct the handover process. If this needs to be input into a project management system for the staff involved to follow, milestones and transition dates need to be clearly documented within the handover document.
- It’s recommended that the process be done during the exiting employee’s resignation notice period.
- It is best to start the process gradually, or in segments, to ensure enough time for the handover, allowing for questions and training, as well as completing as many open tasks as possible.
- It is best if the new employee’s first day happens during the handover period so that they can spend a few hours, if not days, shadowing the outgoing staff member. It allows the new employee to also carry out tasks under the guidance of the outgoing staff.
- The exiting employee can also provide tips and best practices, valuable context and answer questions.
- During or before the outgoing staff’s last day, ensure all loose ends are tied up and the new employee is settled in the role.