Managing resignations manually is exhausting. Between tracking paperwork, sending reminder emails, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks, it’s easy for teams to feel overwhelmed. I found a better way using tools you probably already have: Google Forms, Sheets, and Google Drive.

Here’s how I turned our messy offboarding process into something smooth and automatic.

The Problem: Why Manual Resignations Don’t Work

Before automation, our resignation process was a nightmare:

• Lost information: Resignation details were scattered across emails, notes, and random conversations
• Data entry mistakes: Typos in departure dates affected payroll and planning
• Communication gaps: Important messages got buried in email threads
• Wasted time: HR spent hours on repetitive tasks instead of strategic work

Every resignation felt like starting from scratch. We needed consistency and a unified process.

Step 1: Design a Smart Resignation Form

The foundation of any good system is capturing the right information upfront. I built a Form that asks for:

• Employee name and department
• Last working day
• Reason for leaving
• Position title and location
• Contract or Vacation payout calculation

Pro tips for your form:

• Use data validation (like requiring a date format) to prevent errors
• Add conditional logic so questions adapt based on answers
• Restrict access to company email addresses only
• Keep it short, ask only what you truly need

A well-designed form saves you from chasing people down for missing details later.

Step 2: Let Google Sheets Organize Everything Automatically

Connect your form to a Google Sheet, and every resignation instantly populates a row with all the details. No manual typing, no transcription errors.

How to organize your sheet:

• Create clear column headers (Employee ID, Name, Department, Exit Date, Status)
• Group related information together
• Use filters to view specific departments or date ranges
• Color-code rows to show progress (submitted, in progress, completed)

This central database becomes your single source of truth. Everyone knows where to look, and nothing gets lost.

Step 3: Automate Notifications with Google Apps Script

This is where the magic happens. Google Apps Script lets you automatically trigger actions when someone submits the form.

Here’s a simple script to send an email:

function sendNotification() {
  var email = "hr@yourcompany.com";
  var subject = "New Resignation Submitted";
  var message = "A new resignation form has been submitted. Please review it in the tracking sheet.";
  
  MailApp.sendEmail(email, subject, message);
}

Attach this script to run when the form is submitted, and everyone on the team gets instant alerts.

What else you can automate:

• Email the employee’s manager
• Create calendar reminders for exit interviews
• Flag items that need immediate attention
• Notify IT to schedule equipment return

No more manually checking for new submissions. The system does it for you.

Step 4: Build Your Complete Offboarding Workflow

Now connect all the pieces into one smooth process:

1. Employee submits form → Data goes to spreadsheet
2. Script triggers → HR and manager get notified
3. Checklist generates → Based on the employee’s role and department
4. Tasks auto-assign → Exit interviews, access removal, equipment return
5. Follow-ups send automatically → Reminders keep everyone on track

The beauty of this system is consistency. Every resignation follows the same clear path, so nothing gets missed.

The Results: What Changed

After implementing automation:

• Saved hours per resignation on administrative tasks
• Zero missed steps in the offboarding process
• 90% fewer back-and-forth emails for clarifications
• Complete transparency on where each resignation stands

The HR team could finally focus on meaningful conversations with departing employees instead of drowning in paperwork or chasing down documentation.

What’s Next: More Automation Opportunities

Once you see how well this works, you’ll spot other processes to automate:

• Onboarding new hires
• Role transitions and promotions
• Compliance check-ins
• Auto-generated emails reminders
• Performance review scheduling

The same approach works everywhere: capture data in a form, organize it in a sheet, and use scripts to trigger the right actions.

Ready to Simplify Your Processes?

Automating workflows isn’t just about speed, it’s about clarity. When you remove manual chaos, you create space for better work and less stress.

Want to find your biggest automation opportunities? I offer a Free Digital Efficiency Audit that identifies where you’re losing time and shows you exactly how to fix it.

Schedule your 30 minute operations audit and let’s get started.

Your time is too valuable to spend on repetitive tasks. Let’s automate the boring stuff so you can focus on what actually matters.