• Forbes, Tuesday, March 30, 2010 10:52 AM

James F. Kelly, director of brand experience for PriceWaterhouseCoopers, writes that the way that a company parts ways with its employees can have a potent and lasting effect not only on the former employee but also on the employees who remain -- as well as the brand itself.

People who leave often wind up working for a competitor, industry organization, or client, he points out. "You'll want to be on the best possible terms with those folks, no matter what their future holds. Remember, too, that more than one happy alumnus has delivered business to a former employer," he writes.

A strong exit process can reinforce the strengths of your brand, Kelly maintains, and he offers suggestions such as holding a mini career fair by inviting companies in your industry to meet exiting employees; making a space with resources like Internet access and resume assistance available to departing staff, and organizing volunteer opportunities that can help ex-employees focus on something positive and network at the same time.

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