Great employees will leave your organization from time to time—but they don’t have to become total strangers. Employee alumni programs can help you foster continuing relationships with former colleagues, which can be a competitive advantage in today’s dynamic labor market environment. When setting up your program, keep these strategies in mind.
 
Build a digital community. Most companies start by creating an alumni group on LinkedIn. This allows former employees to stay in touch and up to date on opportunities at your organization. It also allows you to keep an eye on what former employees are up to after they depart.
 
Develop a communication plan. How and when will you reach out to your alumni pool, and what information will you include? You might plan a quarterly newsletter containing company announcements, industry insights, and information about events. If you have a smaller alumni pool, you might plan more targeted, tailored outreach.
 
Don’t wait until the exit interview. Instead, integrate the alumni program throughout the employee lifecycle. You might even introduce it as early as the interview process or onboarding, positioning the network as another benefit of joining the organization.
This tip is adapted from “Designing a Corporate Alumni Program? Start Here.,” by Rebecca Paluch
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