Offboarding, the process that leads to an employee leaving a firm, is an important element for sustained success, according to a senior executive at a leading talent management and human resources company.

It's more than just logistics, but an opportunity to harness an employee's power and make sure he or she remains a positive voice, according to Amber Hyatt, vice president of product marketing at Chicago-headquartered Silkroad.

"More than just the logistics of returning keys, badges and computers, offboarding is about seizing the opportunity to tap into the power of departing employees and making sure they remain a positive voice for the company," Hyatt told HR Daily Wire.

Hyatt mapped out the advantages, and the potential pitfalls, when it comes to offboarding, as she argued how important it is to manage a departing employee in the right way.

"To understand the value of offboarding, consider this: along with the industry experience, company knowledge and other intellectual property they gained at the organization, departing employees also have the freedom to openly share their opinions about the company in whatever way and with whomever they see fit, including on Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Facebook and any number of other social networks," Hyatt said. "Offboarding provides another opportunity to influence those opinions, to learn and to enable improvements going forward. "

In short, those employees walking out the door can "either be an advocate or detractor for the company."

Hyatt has some simple advice for employers to ensure those leaving do so with a positive mentality and a favorable opinion of the company.

First, treat them like you’d like to be treated, and always consider them “alumni” with the power to be champions for the company.

She advises employers "to adopt a systematic, enterprise-wide process that considers and consistently treats all aspects of offboarding, including finances, property and compliance.

"Ultimately, no one understands a company – its values, its culture and the way it does business – more than the people who’ve earned a living there," Hyatt said. "When this understanding is shared in a positive light, it can contribute to the sustained success of the company."

She cited one example of a Silkroad customer, a home builder, who actively engaged with retirees, keeping them active within the organization.

This, Hyatt said, created "an ongoing positive message to the community about being a great employer and place to work."