10 Ways to Write a Meaningful Goodbye Card for a Leaving Coworker
Thankbox Team
06 May 2021
You’ve seen it before. You’ve done it before. It’s a coworker’s last day with the company and you‘ve been tasked with coordinating a leaving card for them. You have practically no time to do it, so, you run to the store to grab an overpriced, plastic-covered greeting card, scramble to get coworkers to discretely sign it, and then act suspicious when the recipient suspects you may be up to something. And now, with the workplace gone virtual, options for coordinating handwritten cards prove even harder.
Did you know there’s a better way to create a card, without all the hassle? With Thankbox, all you have to do is buy a card, for the same price as a paper one, and have your colleagues contribute messages or small gifts.
"I came across Thankbox a few weeks ago when our team was organising a card and collection for a colleague who was leaving. I thought it a great idea especially as you can add Gifs to the cards. Our colleague was leaving busy London for a small farm in Wales so there were lots of hilarious Gifs included in her leaving card. I would recommend Thankbox without hesitation."
Still not convinced a virtual card feels the same as handwritten one? With the option to write as much as you want, include photos without printing, and allow people to add their messages on their own time, virtual cards are often even more meaningful. With just a few clicks, a goodbye card transforms into a collection of stories, memories, and messages of appreciation from coworker to coworker.
Let everyone say a heartfelt 'goodbye' in style
A send-off from the whole team is something to treasure. Get everyone to share memories, achievements and best wishes now. Send them off with a spring in their step and a heart filled with confidence.
Here are 10 easy ways to create a meaningful group leaving card to make sure your colleague leaves the company feeling acknowledged, valued, and well-wished on their next adventure!
1. The More Signatures, The Better
Nothing is quite as disheartening as receiving a half-filled out farewell card on your last day at the company. What may seem like a last-minute gift for an under-appreciated colleague is just a lack of organization and time. It’s difficult to corral enough coworkers around the office when it seems like everyone’s busy, in a meeting, or on vacation. With virtual group goodbye cards like Thankbox, not only do you not have to worry about pestering your coworkers to sign any card, but you’re far more likely to collect more signatures when people are left to complete on their own time. With a few gentle reminders from us to your team, you can collect more signatures than before, and it's never been easier than with virtual leaving cards.
2. Encourage More than a Signature
Don’t just sign your name! Encourage coworkers to go the extra mile and write a short note, story, or well-wishing for the leaving coworker. With group ecards, there’s practically infinite space to write a note for your coworker, leave a photo, or tell a story beyond just a name. Virtual leaving cards offer a chance for your team to get creative with little work needed - participants can add as much or as little as they’d like, and never run out of room! Now get thinking about how the leaving coworker impacted the team, what they taught or brought, or how they can be wished well on their next adventure.
3. Tell a Story
So we know a meaningful leaving card contains more than just a page of signatures, but what is there to include beyond a name? Because every Thankbox is a completely personalised ecard, your team can use their message to tell a story about what it was like to work alongside your leaving coworker. Messages that start with “I remember when…” or “I will never forget when…” will leave the recipient feeling valued, special, and remembered on their last day with the team.
4. Include a memorable picture
Unlike traditional handwritten cards, virtual goodbye cards allow participants to add photos to their cards. This is a great opportunity to share a moment in time in the leaving coworker's tenure that was particularly memorable, fun, or eventful. A picture is worth a thousand words and can transform any virtual goodbye card into a special one.
5. Show appreciation for your leaving coworker.
It may be easy to just collect as many signatures as possible, telling coworker to quickly sign this card for so-and-so, but it’s far more meaningful to let your coworker know how much their work was appreciated at the same company. Encourage your team to leave short notes of appreciation for the work your colleague contributed.
6. Commend Work Achievements
Similarly, highlighting specific work achievements can leave your colleague feeling valued by your team. While you can mention that you appreciated your colleague’s work, tell them what you appreciated and why. Get specific here, you have the space and it will absolutely make a meaningful goodbye card.
7. Highlight your Coworker’s Impact
To get even more specific, you can show appreciation for your colleague and their work achievements by sharing why you felt they were a crucial member of the team. A meaningful leaving card should show your coworker how they made a positive impact on your team and why it mattered. You can share a result of their work achievements that made a business impact, or share a more personal impact they had on you or the dynamic of your team.
8. Extend beyond your team
With virtual goodbye cards, you can spread the message far beyond who you sit close to at the office. Your leaving colleague may have worked closely with an international team from time to time, so make sure to collect their wishes, too! Sharing your virtual leaving card beyond your leaving colleague’s immediate team will show them just how much of an impact they made and how meaningful your send off can be virtually.
9. Collect a small group gift
Did you know you can collect money for a group gift along with virtual leaving cards? Thankbox allows you to comfortably collect cash from colleagues around the world to include in your leaving coworkers goodbye card to show an extra dose of gratitude. Your colleague can then redeem their gift pot for an e gift card from one of the hundreds of stores in our online catalogue.
10. Don’t shy away from humour!
A leaving card doesn’t have to be all sappy and heartfelt - add some humour in there! By encouraging your colleagues to crack a joke here and there on your leaving cards will not only leave your colleague laughing in the moment, but smiling about the times your team had together.
Not sure how to even create a virtual farewell card? No worries - just create a Thankbox! Our virtual cards are heartfelt, cheery, and easy to create. Bonus: we care about the environment! For every 10 Thankboxes sold, we plant a tree, so you never have to buy a plastic-wrapped paper card again.
Now that you know how to have a meaningful impact on your leaving colleague’s last day, it’s time to get creative! When choosing your Thankbox, you have the Classic option or the Premium option which allows for more customization to make your recipient feel extra special. All you have to do is create your card, share it with your team, and send it out to to your recipient. Pass these tips along to your team so they know exactly what to write, making it easy for them and seamless for you!
Let everyone say a heartfelt 'goodbye' in style
A send-off from the whole team is something to treasure. Get everyone to share memories, achievements and best wishes now. Send them off with a spring in their step and a heart filled with confidence.
