Name: How to Say Goodbye to a Colleague: 5 Creative & Meaningful Ideas | Indeed
Uploaded: 2026-02-03T21:01:20.000Z
Duration: 4 min 22 s
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If you ever had to say goodbye to a colleague, you know things can get a bit dramatic.

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And yet it is good to say goodbye, especially when a coworker is leaving for a new opportunity.

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In fact, nearly 50% of employees believe participating in simple team rituals is tied to an improved sense of meaning at work.

In this workshop, we'll deconstruct five creative ways to say goodbye to a co-worker

and keep your network intact and craft meaningful messages to send off those soon to be former teammates.

Instead of sending an email or passing around a card for everyone to sign,

why not take it up a notch by asking everyone to contribute to a goodbye playlist?

Instead, have everyone add one song that reminds them of their colleague or calls back to an inside joke.

This is an especially great option for virtual teams in remote work settings.

It's a thoughtful keepsake for the person leaving that's both fun and more personal.

Number two: Create a personal video message.

In fact, 82% of people say they work with at least one person who they'd call a friend,

with nearly 30% saying they even have an at-work bestie.

If you fall into either one of those categories or just prefer being on screen to on paper,

consider recording a goodbye video message.

Hit record and mention how the person impacted your time at work.

Recall specific moments and encourage them to keep in touch.

Don't forget to end by providing your contact information should you like to stay connected to give it the perfect finishing touch.

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A goodbye email is practical and efficient,

especially if you want to make sure you have up-to-date contact information for your departing co-worker.

But, they're probably going to get tons of those.

For a fun twist on this, try scheduling a follow-up goodbye to be sent to their personal email address a week or so after their last day at work,

where you wish them well and whatever comes next, be it an exciting new job or enjoying retirement.

This helps keep the connection alive outside the workplace

and can be more fun and memorable for your now former co-worker who won't be expecting it.

While you're not obligated to spend any money, you absolutely can give a gift to a departing coworker if you so choose.

In fact, sometimes a gift is the best way to say goodbye,

especially to someone who's been with the company a long time or was supportive during your time working together.

Teams may pool money to give the person something that could be useful in their next role,

something connected to their hobbies, or even a funny inside joke gift that sparks good memories.

Finally, nothing says goodbye like a good old fashioned get together.

Throwing a goodbye party can be as simple as grabbing lunch, coffee or after-work drinks.

For something a bit more outside the box, consider holding something like an office scavenger hunt.

Here you can hide personalized goodbye notes from teammates,

tokens or jokes around the workplace, along with hints for your coworker to discover throughout the day.

Don't worry, you don't need to organize a whole party planning committee or anything.

just focus on creating a fun opportunity for everyone to come together, send well wishes and celebrate the next chapter.

When it's your turn to say goodbye, here's a simple template you can use to craft your message.

2. Mention something you learned from them.

And finally 4. Share your contact details to keep in touch.

Just speak from the heart and follow this format and your goodbye will be good to go.

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