4.5 Offboarding and Knowledge Transfer

Offboarding is the critical process of securely separating the individual from the organization while ensuring continuity of operations, security of intellectual property, and the preservation of professional relationships. The process has two distinct mandates: the Hard Gate (Security and IP) and the Soft Gate (Relationship and Knowledge). A well-executed offboarding protects the company today while keeping the door open for future cooperation.

The Hard Gate: Security Protocol Mandates

The first priority is the immediate, non-negotiable securing of company assets and access.

• Access Revocation: Immediate revocation of all network, system, and facility access upon the confirmed departure time. This includes MES, ERP, PLM, factory floor badges, and VPN access.
• IP Return: Mandatory sign-off confirming the return of all company property, including laptops, mobile devices, security keys, and any sensitive physical documents (notebooks, drawings).
• Account Lockdown: Accounts must be disabled, not deleted, to preserve the audit trail of past actions (e.g., commit history, approval logs).

Knowledge Transfer and Operational Continuity

The departure of an employee must not leave a vacuum. Knowledge transfer is a formal requirement before the final exit.

• Ticket Handover: The departing employee must transfer ownership of all active tasks and tickets in the Project Tracking System. No ticket can remain assigned to a deactivated user.
• Documentation Filing: Outstanding documentation (e.g., half-finished WIs, draft reports) must be filed in the central Knowledge Base or handed off to a specific owner. Leaving files on a local desktop is prohibited.
• The "Bus Factor" Check: The manager must verify that no critical process or password exists solely in the departing employee's head.

The Soft Gate: The Alumni Protocol

Employees who leave on good terms are potential future assets ("Boomerang Employees"), partners, or customers. Offboarding must be conducted with professionalism to preserve this value.

The Alumni Mindset

• Future Cooperation: The organization actively encourages the return of high-performing employees. Re-hiring a former employee drastically reduces Onboarding Time and cultural ramp-up.
• Professionalism: The exit process must be respectful. The departing employee is treated as an Alumnus, not a security threat (unless cause exists).
• The Door is Open: Managers should explicitly state, "If your new role doesn't work out, or if you want to return in the future with new skills, the door is open."

The Exit Interview (Retention RCA)

The exit interview is not a formality; it is a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) on retention failure.

• Data Collection: Why is the employee leaving? (Salary? Management? Technology stack? Burnout?).
• Systemic Feedback: Information gathered must be fed back to HR and Leadership (anonymized if necessary) to improve the Retention Strategy.

Final Checklist