How to Write the Perfect Farewell Email to Your Colleagues (With Examples)
Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when it comes to leaving a job and the coworkers who have become friends and trusted teammates. While in-person farewells are ideal, often an email is the best way to share the news with everyone and express your appreciation.
A thoughtful, well-crafted farewell email allows you to leave your job graciously, preserve important relationships, and solidify the positive impression you‘ve made. It‘s a key step in your professional journey that‘s worth taking the time to get right.
In this post, we‘ll break down exactly how to write a farewell email that strikes the perfect note. We‘ll cover:
- The key elements of a great farewell email
- How to adapt your message for different audiences
- Tips and best practices to keep in mind
- Several example emails for inspiration
- Common mistakes to avoid
By the end, you‘ll be fully prepared to pen your own goodbye email that expresses your heartfelt sentiments and positions you for future success. Let‘s dive in!
The Anatomy of an Excellent Farewell Email
Every farewell email will be unique, shaped by your experiences and relationships with your soon-to-be former colleagues. However, great goodbye notes tend to share a few key components:
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A clear subject line: Aim for something straightforward like "Moving On to New Opportunity" or "Bittersweet News to Share." Avoid being cutesy or cryptic.
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A warm greeting: Open with a friendly salutation that sets a positive tone. "Dear valued colleagues" or "To my wonderful [company name] team" works well.
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The news of your departure: Share the essentials – your last day, a brief mention of your new role, your excitement for the future, etc. Don‘t feel obligated to over-explain your reasons for leaving.
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Gratitude and appreciation: This is the heart of your farewell email. Reflect on how much your time with the company has meant to you. Thank your coworkers for their support, collaboration, and friendship.
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Special acknowledgments: If applicable, call out specific people or experiences that were especially impactful during your tenure. A personalized shout-out will mean a lot.
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Your contact info: Make it easy for your colleagues to reach you after you‘ve left by sharing your personal email and/or LinkedIn profile. Reiterate that you‘d love to stay in touch.
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Well wishes: End on a warm, forward-looking note. Wish the team and the company all the best and express your confidence in their continued success.
With those building blocks in place, you‘re well on your way to a terrific goodbye email. Now let‘s look at how to tailor it for different recipients.
Customizing Your Email for Various Audiences
The overall thrust of your farewell message may be similar across audiences, but it‘s important to adapt the tone and focus depending on who you‘re addressing. Here are some tips:
Your Direct Team Members
These are likely the people you‘ve worked with most closely, so your email to them can be a bit less formal and more personal. Share inside jokes, relive funny moments, and reminisce about obstacles you overcame together. Express your heartfelt appreciation for their friendship and support.
Your Boss or Manager
Your farewell to your manager should strike a respectful, appreciative tone while highlighting some of your key accomplishments together. Thank them for their guidance and leadership and emphasize what you‘ve learned from them. If appropriate, offer to assist with training your replacement or transitioning your responsibilities.
Company Leadership
If you‘re sending an email to senior leadership, keep it short and sweet. Express your gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to the company‘s mission and growth. Mention a few highlights from your tenure and reiterate your best wishes for the organization‘s continued success.
Clients, Vendors, and Other Contacts
For those outside your company, your farewell email should be brief and to the point. The main objectives are to inform them of your departure, share your contact info so you can keep in touch, and assure them that you‘re working to smoothly transition your responsibilities to a colleague.
By taking the time to adjust your farewell note for different groups, you show that you understand and appreciate the unique relationship you have with each one. It‘s an extra step that won‘t go unnoticed.
Tips for Striking the Right Tone
Beyond customizing your content for various audiences, it‘s crucial that your farewell email strikes the appropriate overall tone. Here are a few rules of thumb:
Keep it classy. Even if your experience with the company wasn‘t 100% positive, rise above any negativity in your farewell note. You want to be remembered on a high note, not for a petty parting shot.
Be sincere, not sappy. Genuine sentiment is good; over-the-top gushing is awkward. Don‘t feel pressured to profess eternal love and devotion. A few simple, heartfelt lines are far better than paragraphs of exaggerated praise.
Stay humble. Yes, your farewell email can include a few highlights of your impact and accomplishments. But this isn‘t the place for an exhaustive recounting of everything you achieved. Keep the focus on expressing appreciation rather than tooting your own horn.
Don‘t overpromise. If you offer to assist with the transition or to be available if questions arise, be realistic about the time and energy you can dedicate. It‘s better to underpromise than to commit to something you can‘t deliver.
Let your personality shine through. A farewell email should be appropriately professional, but that doesn‘t mean it has to be stiff and generic. Don‘t be afraid to let your unique voice come through. If you‘re known for your sense of humor, a clever line or two is totally fine. The best goodbye notes sound like they truly came from you.
Following these guidelines will help ensure your farewell email is remembered for all the right reasons – as a classy, gracious final impression.
Putting It All Together: Example Farewell Emails
Sometimes there‘s no substitute for seeing the principles in action. Here are a few example farewell emails that check all the boxes for a fond, memorable goodbye.
Example #1: To Your Direct Teammates
Subject Line: Bittersweet News to Share
Hi team,
After four fantastic years working with all of you, I wanted to let you know that I‘ve accepted a new position at [Company] and will be leaving [Current Company] as of [date].
It‘s incredibly bittersweet to share this news. I‘m excited for the new challenge ahead, but I‘m really going to miss working with this amazing group day in and day out. Collaborating with you has been the highlight of my time here – we‘ve navigated some tricky projects together, shared a lot of laughs, and produced work I‘m immensely proud of.
[Personalized shout-outs to specific teammates, inside jokes, memories, etc.]I‘m so grateful for everything I‘ve learned from each of you, and for friendships that I know will continue long after my last day. Please stay in touch – you can always reach me at [personal email] or via LinkedIn at [profile URL].
Wishing you all the very best,
[Your Name]
Example #2: To Your Manager
Subject Line: Thank You and Farewell
Dear [Manager‘s Name],
I wanted to tell you personally that I‘ve accepted a position at [New Company] and will be leaving [Current Company], with [date] being my last day.
Before I go, I want to express my deep appreciation for your guidance and support during my time here. It‘s been a privilege to be a part of your team and to learn from your example of leadership and integrity. Among many positive experiences, I‘m especially grateful for the opportunity you gave me to [specific example, project, or opportunity].
Please let me know how I can be of assistance with training my replacement or any other transition items in the coming weeks. You can always reach me at [personal email] moving forward.
I‘m extremely grateful for the experience I‘ve gained and the relationships I‘ve built during my time with [Current Company]. I wish you and the team every success in the future.
With sincere thanks,
[Your Name]
Example #3: To a Client or External Contact
Subject Line: New Contact for [Your Name] at [Current Company]
Dear [Name],
I‘m writing to let you know that I‘ve accepted a position with another company and will be leaving [Current Company] on [date].
It‘s been an absolute pleasure working with you over the past [length of time]. I‘m grateful for your partnership and the opportunity to [specific achievements or positive results you achieved together].
Moving forward, my colleague [New Contact Name] will be your point person for [relevant service/project]. They‘re cc‘d here and looking forward to working with you. I‘ll be working closely with them to ensure a seamless transition and the same high level of service you‘ve come to expect.
Please don‘t hesitate to reach out to me at [personal email] if you have any questions or if there‘s anything I can do to support you before my last day.
Wishing you all the best,
[Your Name]
As you can see, these examples follow the key guidelines we‘ve discussed while still allowing the sender‘s unique personality and relationship with the recipient to come through. Feel free to use them as jumping-off points for your own farewell messages.
Farewell Email Etiquette: Dos and Don‘ts
To wrap up, here‘s a quick list of farewell email best practices to keep in mind:
DO:
- Keep it concise. Aim for no more than 5-7 short paragraphs.
- Proofread carefully. Don‘t let typos or grammatical errors undermine your message.
- Send your email 1-2 weeks before your last day. This gives people time to process the news and say goodbye in person if they wish.
- BCC large groups. You don‘t need to overwhelm everyone‘s inboxes with lengthy group email chains.
- Respond promptly to any replies. If people take the time to wish you well, acknowledge them with a quick note of thanks.
DON‘T:
- Send your farewell email on your last day. This comes across as an afterthought rather than a sincere gesture.
- CC your new company or boss. This will only make you look tone-deaf and inconsiderate.
- Vent or complain, no matter how tempted you may be. Keep it classy and professional to the very end.
- Send multiple, slightly different versions. Choose your words carefully the first time so you‘re not cluttering colleagues‘ inboxes with revised drafts.
- Forget to update your email signature and voicemail. Remove your current company‘s branding and replace it with your personal contact info.
By following these simple guidelines, you can ensure your farewell email is well-received and enhances your professional reputation as you move on to your next adventure.
Conclusion
Leaving a job and saying goodbye to valued colleagues is never easy. But a thoughtful, well-crafted farewell email can help make the transition smoother and more positive for everyone involved.
By including the key elements of gratitude, personal reflections, and forward-looking statements, customizing your message for different audiences, striking the right tone, and following email etiquette best practices, you‘ll craft a goodbye note that leaves a lasting positive impression and paves the way for continued connections down the road.
Remember, farewell emails aren‘t just a formality. They‘re an opportunity to celebrate shared successes, express genuine appreciation, and strengthen the professional relationships you‘ve worked hard to build. Invest the time and effort to get yours right, and you‘ll reap the rewards for years to come.
Happy writing, and best of luck in your new adventure!
