With my upcoming move out to Denver in the fall and BlueStamp launching before that, I'll be leaving a great gig with my client in Ithaca soon. While leaving any job for non-job-related reasons is hard, there are some steps that can be taken to make it a much better experience for everyone. (BTW, if there are any electronics folks near Ithaca that want to work for a great start-up doing all kinds of interesting stuff, check out this job posting!)
Disclaimer: These steps apply best to situations where a high level of trust exists between the employee and company, which might not be the case if you are leaving to go work for a competitor...
Be up front and honest with your plans.....
.....but only once you've made them. Everyone knows they need to give notice that they're leaving, but seem to have a hard time drawing the line on when to let the employer know. It's kind of like deciding when to tell your mom about the shot transmission in her car – don't raise the alarm until you KNOW it is a sure thing. It is best to bring it up once you've made concrete plans to follow your fiancee for a job she has accepted in another city – but not until then. Giving as much notice as possible helps the employer find a replacement, but 2 weeks is the minimum.Identify outstanding tasks and what you expect to complete.
This is probably the most important task. You will want to complete all tasks, solve all problems, and do a year's worth of work to give your employer time to find a replacement. However when you sit down to figure out what you want to accomplish, what you need in order to do it, and how much time you have, the realities will become clear and force you to pick what truly must be done. It also lets the employer review how you are prioritizing tasks and gives them a chance to ask you to shift your focus to something you were going to leave for the next person.Document like everyone is watching!
Here's a big hint: if nobody can find your documentation within a few minutes, it might as well not exist. A brief list of documents showing topics and the amount of information each file holds (e.g. # of pages) goes a long way in giving your successor hints on where 'the good stuff' is located. Since the user will be coming at your material with a specific question in mind such as “Where is the test data that was used to prove the accuracy of this circuit?” everything should be searchable and information used to make design decisions should be highlighted.
As you will want to create some new documents before you leave, remember that this is not an opportunity to write a narrative to show how well thought out your designs are. Usually people search out documentation when things aren't working, making your boast-a-thon seem downright comical. Focus instead on writing down the test setups, data, and empirical information that you have in your head and cannot be found in places such as datasheets and Wikipedia.Help them find someone to replace you.
Your job is still to help the company reach their goals, and since nobody knows your job better than you do, it is best for you to contribute to the search and interview process (ahem, see job posting above). Besides, you don't want some jerk tinkering with your precious design, do you?Be available after you leave, but don't start a charity.
It may have seemed reasonable to put the important tool in a place where it won't be broken (or found), so people will probably need to call you for help. However the things that you are asked can range from “Where did you leave the epoxy?” to “Can you help us transfer manufacturing to a new board house?” Both are reasonable questions to ask the original designer, however the latter is a significant design project. You need to be clear and up front with your boundaries between pro bono responses and consulting work. Charging for your time on significant tasks is best for everyone, since it is unlikely that you'll sacrifice the evening fish bite to meet a deadline unless you are being paid.
Sometimes it's tough to hold the line on these points, especially when you like your co-workers and don't like giving them bad news about your departure. Just bear in mind some advice a boss once told me on my co-op, “It's way better to be disappointed than surprised.” Keep honest and the beer at the bar on your last day will be a great one.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/smoorenburg/3451793224/
