What to capture before your most experienced employee leaves

Find the knowledge that exists in one person's head

Start with a conversation about the work that makes colleagues say 'ask Alex'. That may be a weekly report, an unusual stock exception or knowing which supplier contact resolves a recurring issue. Include infrequent tasks; everyday service is often easier to learn by watching.

Ask the colleague to describe the last awkward situation they solved. Experienced operators may struggle to list knowledge abstractly, as a small-shop barista lead explained when asked to create training. A real example exposes the decisions hidden inside a familiar routine.

Choose a short priority list

Rank possible handovers by consequence and how soon the task will next occur. A process needed tomorrow deserves attention before an archive of old display ideas. For specialist or safety-sensitive work, identify whether the successor needs formal or practical training from someone qualified to provide it.

Keep the handover realistic for the remaining shifts. Agree time for it and maintain normal respect for the departing employee. Their decision to leave does not make them responsible for repairing every undocumented process in the business.

• What stops if nobody knows this?
• When will it next be needed?
• Who will take responsibility?
• What information is already written down?
• What needs supervised practice rather than notes?

Capture decisions, not just clicks

For each priority task, record its purpose, starting information, ordinary sequence and common exceptions. A screenshot can show where a button is; it cannot explain why a figure should be checked before submitting it.

Original retail example: a senior colleague knows how to deal with a supplier item that arrives under a replacement code. The handover should explain how to verify the match and who approves the change, not simply list the old and new codes. Keep commercial account access and passwords in your approved secure access system.

Knowledge handover
Task and when it occurs:
Person taking over:
Inputs and where to find them:
Normal process:
Decision or exception to check:
When to stop and seek approval:
Approved contact or reference:
Practice completed and remaining gap:

Make the replacement test the instruction

Let the successor carry out a suitable example using the draft instruction, with the departing colleague observing. Note where the draft assumes knowledge the successor does not have. Rewrite those points immediately.

HSE's guidance on supervision is relevant to checking safe performance; a document by itself does not establish competence. For ordinary administrative work, this practice test also exposes missing files, permissions and explanations while someone can still answer the question.

Further reading: HSE: supervising workers

Assign maintenance after the departure

Put an owner and review trigger on each retained instruction. Otherwise the handover freezes the business as it existed on the employee's last day. Confirm that supplier contacts, shared files and authorised account access will remain available to the right people.

At the next occurrence of the task, ask the successor what was missing and update the guide. Judge the handover by whether another person can complete the real work safely and accurately, not by the number of pages produced.