How can you ensure a smooth transition when an employee retires?

A report by McLean & Co. outlines a three-phase approach to effective succession planning for companies when employees retire, according to ConstructioNext.

1. Pre-retirement: This involves forecasting workplace needs and preparing employees for retirement by identifying critical roles, taking an inventory of skills and holding planning information sessions.
2. Peri-retirement: This phase begins after an employee announces his or her retirement and involves preparing the employee for his or her exit and ensuring a smooth transfer of knowledge. Mentorship could be useful during this phase of planning.
3. Post-retirement: This phase focuses on successful offboarding, which includes maintaining relationships with alumni employees and keeping them engaged.

“There is a common misconception that the relationship between an employee and the organization ends when the employee retires,” said LynnAnn Brewer, McLean’s director of human resources research and advisory services, in a press release. But engaging with alumni after they retire can offer “organizational benefits, including increased brand awareness, access to desirable talent pools and support for strategic goals and objectives.”