Off-boarding isn't solely about bidding farewell to departing employees. It's a process intricately woven into an organization's fabric, demanding personalized solutions that align with HR teams' and organizations' unique needs.

Having an effective off-boarding solution means ensuring that any partners involved in that process must be well integrated in your HRIS (Human Resource Information System) and Benefits Administration solution. Here are some things to think about as you consider your current COBRA administration or off-boarding partner’s performance and ways that your organization could improve.

1. Seamless communications

Your off-boarding process should be well integrated with your HRIS and benefits administration systems. When someone is terminated, notifications should be automatic for any partners and HR team members so that you can rest assured that everyone knows exactly what actions remain to be taken. Customizing off-boarding solutions to sync effortlessly with existing HR systems ensures data accuracy, simplifies workflows, and reduces administrative burdens. Your broker should know what benefits need to be terminated, your COBRA notices should be triggered and handled, your HR team should know exactly what remains to be done. If you find yourself regularly wondering “who’s on first” then it’s probably time for a change. The off-boarding process should be a flow of communications that are customized to the needs of your organization.

2. Alignment on responsibilities

Compliance is clutch, there’s no overstating that. In any off-boarding flow, your legal and compliance needs should be of the utmost importance. However, there are different ways of tackling those responsibilities and it's pretty common to have someone else cover some of them, like COBRA administration for example. The cost of handling that incorrectly can be steep. But if it feels like your partners are merely checking a box and shy away from actually owning the experience employees have in the off-boarding journey, it could mean that your HR team is having to pick up the slack.

While those legal and compliance checkboxes are important, they’re not the only thing that matters, especially if you put yourself in the shoes of your departing employees and care about your company’s reputation. A good partner should be motivated to interact with your former employees and provide as much support as possible, taking work off of your team’s plate. You shouldn’t have to worry about arguments over what your COBRA administrator owns, or what your broker handles, or where your team’s responsibilities lie. Using the COBRA example, if it’s related to losing benefits, that partner should own it and be excited about owning it, not making a case for why they are only responsible for a bare minimum or shifting responsibilities back to you.

3. Be wary of more dashboards

Many off-boarding partners, like COBRA administrators, create complex dashboards and complicated web apps for employers. The truth is, COBRA should be straightforward enough where you don’t need sophisticated dashboards, notifications, and tasks. Are they building this for you or for themselves? If the integrations and setup phases are handled correctly, there should be little reason for your HR team to need yet another dashboard to maintain. Tools should be focused on making off-boarding easier and better, not on helping you share in the responsibility of sending the notices you hired them to handle.

4. Get support beyond employee departure

Off-boarding shouldn’t be regarded as a final goodbye but as an ongoing support system. Done properly, it should be the beginning of the alumni journey for a former employee. Providing resources and guidance post-departure, such as access to health insurance guidance, financial well-being tools, etc. can go a long way in demonstrating a commitment to employee well-being, well beyond employment.

Customizable support in off-boarding isn't a one-size-fits-all concept. Find a partner that’s committed to tailoring solutions that acknowledge the diverse needs of HR teams and organizations. Find a partner that aims to create off-boarding processes that seamlessly integrate with existing systems, remain adaptable to changes, and prioritize ongoing support for departing employees.

As organizations navigate the complexities of off-boarding, the value of customized support cannot be overstated. By partnering with Kept, HR teams and organizations can rest assured that their off-boarding processes are finely tuned to meet their unique needs, fostering smoother transitions and prioritizing employee well-being throughout the departure journey.