How to Write a Farewell Speech to Colleagues

When leaving work, you can write an emotional farewell speech, where you can thank everyone who was involved in your professional development. The farewell letter is ranked eighth of the 15 must-do things to do before leaving work.

What Is a Farewell Speech?

It is a type of speech that is usually given to commemorate the process of leaving a workplace. In the office, a farewell speech is usually presented to a group of people.

You don’t have to say goodbye to everyone in your company. It is enough to write to those people who took part in your development, namely:

• Your team

• The colleagues who weren’t on your team but with whom you had regular interactions
• Your boss 
• Someone who you may have not had many interactions with but who nevertheless had a great impact on your experience at the workplace

Why Should You Write a Farewell Speech?

Such speeches are written after you’ve submitted your resignation.

There are at least two reasons to do this:

• It’s good etiquette. Most people spend more than eight hours a day at work, and often our colleagues turn into good friends. The farewell speech offers us an opportunity to thank the people we’ve spent so much time together with. Along with showing your appreciation for the colleagues you’ve befriended over the course of your career, you can also lay out your hopes for future collaborations or networking with these colleagues.
• You can also use your speech to share information about your transition plans. If you worked for a big company and didn’t tell all your co-workers that you were leaving, rumors might pop up that you don’t want. A message from you personally with information about where you will be will help put those rumors to bed.

What style to use?

It is customary for a farewell speech to be informal. Use:

• humor and jokes
• recollection of some case that rallied the team
• a funny phrase from one of your colleagues that your team picked up and started using team.

Use humor in farewell speeches to colleagues who know you well. For example, “I wish you a big bonus at the end of the year – and more days when John is in a good mood. If I don’t like the new place, I’ll definitely come back and demand my window seat back!”

But avoid jokes with a negative connotation like “I’ll never see you again, but that’s okay by me.”

What to Include in a Farewell Speech

How to start a farewell speech and what to include in it? We have prepared some suggestions:

• Greetings.
• Where and what your next job will be or what your plans for retirement are. Your colleagues may be curious, but mentioning this or not is up to you. Don’t talk about your next job if it’s uncomfortable for you.
• Your speech could include phrases such as:

• Your farewell speech could also include your feelings of gratitude:

Steps for Writing a Farewell Speech

A farewell speech need not strictly follow a certain set of rules and it can take a number of forms. However, following a few basic steps helps.

• How to start a farewell speech? First, use a polite greeting. For example, “Dear colleagues.”
• State that you are departing. For example, “It’s been a real pleasure working with you, but, as you may know, today is my last day working with you.”
• You could indicate the reason why you’re leaving. For example “My wife and I have decided that we would like to join the Peace Corp and give something back to the world.”. In case you do not want to talk about your future plans, you can leave this step out.
• Also, if desired, you can include a new place of work in the speech. For example, “We will be moving to the Gambia in two months and plan to stay there for two years.”
• It would be good form to thank your colleagues and convey your positive wishes to them. For example, “I can’t thank you enough for your constant support and consummate professionalism.” 
• How to conclude a farewell speech? If you would like to make any proposals, recommendations for improving the work of the team or the organization, or if you’d simply like to leave your well wishes, you can do this in a farewell speech but don’t go overboard. For example, “While I regret that I will not be able to see the Johnson project to completion, I’m certain that a continued focus on our new strategy will bring everything that we’ve been aiming for to fruition.”

Guidelines for Writing a Farewell Speech

Here are some basic guidelines for writing farewell speeches:

• Friendly tone. In the last speech, light, non-offensive humor is a great way to go.
• A ban on expressing resentment, anger, or anything negative.
• In a farewell speech, there should not be boasting, gloating, or expressions of superiority.
• Refrain from criticizing the company. Don’t burn your bridges. Rather, leave everyone with a good impression of you..
• A ban on calling for the dismissal of other employees. 
• Don’t attempt to poach talent from the company you’re leaving. 

What not to write in a farewell speech

A farewell speech should be positive.

• If you are leaving because of a conflict with one of your superiors, you should not mention it.
• You should not praise competitors (particularly if you’re leaving your company for them).
• While it’s nice to mention them, it’s better not to talk excessively about your future life plans. Everyone who wants to know can ask you personally.

Incorrect: “I’m so excited to turn a new leaf in my career. Sure, I had a great time here, but this opportunity is the chance of a lifetime. The salary is higher, the benefits are better, and the team of ABC is just amazing!”

Don’t gloat in your farewell speech, rather, tell the colleagues you’re leaving how much you enjoyed working side by side with them.

Farewell Speech Ideas

Leaving a company can be difficult. It marks the end of one chapter of your life and the beginning of another. Leaving work can bring on feelings of excitement and anxiety as we look forward to what’s coming and back at what we’re leaving. We have compiled a selection of farewell speech ideas for you so that you can leave with honor and dignity, and depart your company leaving behind a good impression of yourself.

1.  Thank you all for being kind to me all these years. 

2.  It’s hard to leave this place and all these wonderful people. Thanks everyone. 

3.  Thank you for being so welcoming and always supporting me. I will miss everyone. 

4.  At this moment I am very sad and happy at the same time. Thanks to all of you, colleagues, and also to our boss.

5.  Thank you all for what you have been doing in recent years. I will always be grateful to you.

6.  I leave with sadness in my soul. Memories of our work will forever remain in my heart. 

7.  I learned a lot from you, you helped me to achieve so many goals. I am grateful to have had such wonderful and sympathetic colleagues. 

8.  It was a fantastic journey. I wish you all good luck. Please stay in touch.

9.  I am glad to be starting something new. However, it is with a heavy heart that I leave this company. 

10.  I am very lucky that I had the opportunity to work with you.You are all so unique.

11.  Saying goodbye to all of you is very difficult. All the memories of our joint work are the best parting gift for me.

12.  Your moral support and words of encouragement helped me immensely.

13.  You have always been more than colleagues to me. You were by my side in good times and bad. I will miss you all terribly!

14.  While I’m glad to be able to get a new job, leaving such amazing colleagues really saddens me. I hope we will stay in touch.

15.  I had a great experience working in this company and I learned a lot from each of you. I hope that at the new place of work I will have colleagues who are even 10 percent as amazing as you!

16.  I will cherish the time spent working with you. Best wishes to all of you.

17.  I express my most sincere wishes to the success of this company and to the continued personal success of you, my wonderful. Goodbye and be healthy. I hope we will meet again.

18.  I will forever cherish the memories of working with such an amazing leader. Thank you for your help.

19.  I leave this company with great memories. Thank you for guiding me all these years.

When you leave a company, it is important to leave a positive impression in the memory of your boss and your colleagues. Don’t neglect doing this, as maintaining good connections can not only be personally satisfying, but can also be useful for future networking. We hope that the tips and examples above will help you in writing your farewell speech.

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