We all have envisaged giving a farewell speech when we retire or leave a job. Farewell speeches fancy each one of us. But how to deliver a memorable farewell speech still confuses many. We all want our farewell speech to leave an impact on the audience. It should be something they would cherish forever. This article tends to make the job easier for you. The article will elucidate upon what are the things to ponder upon while writing and delivering a farewell speech, with the aid of examples. Let’s know about the Farewell Speech at Work.
Farewell is indeed a special moment in anyone’s life. While giving a farewell speech at work, you have to keep it a perfect blend of formal and informal language and experiences. The speech should be eloquent and should explicitly show the emotions you want to convey. There are two types of farewell speeches at work. One, that you give during your retirement, and the other is when you leave a job at a company for better career opportunities. Both the speeches are different yet similar in some ways.
Know what a farewell speech is
A professional gesture, farewell speech is usually delivered when an individual is retiring from his job or leaving the job to chase better career opportunities. Not every employee leaving the job gives a farewell speech, it depends on the company. Usually, employees who have worked with the company for a long time, are entitled to give a farewell speech. The speech is delivered either at the farewell party organized by the company or at official parties and ceremonies of the company.
- Make your farewell speech better
Farewell speech is mostly once in a lifetime affair. This has to be made memorable. To deliver a memorable farewell speech, you need to write it in a manner that would grab the attention of the audience. There are some points you need to keep in mind while writing your farewell speech. These points are as follows:
- Draw a thumbnail sketch of your speech
The first thing you should do before writing your farewell speech is to draw a thumbnail sketch of the speech. You can draft a rough sketch consisting of what you will include in the speech, what will be the order, what will come first, what will come last. This thumbnail sketch is meant for deciding what all is essential in the speech, what you would like to say about yourself, what things you liked in the company, and so on. You can make bullet points of the words, phrases, and sentences you will be using in the speech.
- An effective introduction
Your farewell speech should start with an introduction of yourself. You can also start the speech with any relevant quote, this helps in grabbing the attention of the audience. The introduction should include your designation or position at the office. You can make the introduction a blend of formal and informal by including what your colleagues used to call you. This might make people laugh and feel connected.
- Talk about the company
Since it is a professional farewell speech, you are obligated to talk about the company. Here, you can mention your favorite traits and aspects of the company. Do not forget to mention what the company has given you. In other words, praise the company. You can also share a few of your memorable experiences in the company, this will give the speech a perfect formal-informal blend.
- Praise your colleagues
While formulating the speech, keep in mind that you are delivering it in front of the people you have worked with. You are delivering the speech to show your gratitude towards the company and thank the people you have worked with. Do not forget to praise them. Tell your boss how supportive he was throughout your tenure in his office. Make sure everyone is covered under the ambit of your speech. People always remember the good things you talk about them.
- Keep the speech crisp and short
An important thing to bear in mind is to keep the speech short and crisp. A speech that is too long is often difficult for people to tolerate. They will not listen if the speech is too long. No one would want to hear an hour-long farewell speech. It should be no more than fifteen minutes. Anyways it is difficult to say goodbye for one hour. So, keep it short and crisp.
- An effective conclusion
Once you pour in all your ideas, you should formulate a strong conclusion which sums up your speech. It should be a gist of all the years you have spent in the company. Try to give the conclusion an emotional touch because you know farewell speeches ought to be emotional.
- Edit the speech and let one of your colleagues know your ideas
Once you are done with writing the speech, do not forget to edit it to strike off minor errors. After editing, you can show the speech to one of your colleagues and ask for his/her opinions. This will help you to enhance the quality of the speech and let you know if you have missed out on anything. Do not go around showing your speech to everyone, otherwise, people will know your speech beforehand and would no longer be interested in listening to what you say while delivering the speech.
Delivering the speech
After writing the farewell speech, the next step is to make sure that you deliver the speech effectively. There are some points you need to bear in mind while delivering an impactful speech.
These points are as follows:
- The right tone
While delivering the speech, you should keep a check on your tone. Make sure you do not speak in a violent or monotonous tone. The tone should be relaxed, jovial, and emotional, depending upon the sentence you are speaking. You have to be cautious with your tone as this is a farewell speech at work.
- Confidence and calmness
Two things that you need to make sure of while speaking is – to stay confident and to stay calm. Your speech should sound confident. Remember, you already know the people in the audience. You just have to feel confident and calm while delivering the speech. This is not any presentation in front of the client. It is just you pouring out your thoughts on the last day of work at the company. Make sure to give your best shot.
- Spread optimism
You should be optimistic while speaking. For instance, if you are leaving the company to pursue better job opportunities, you can end your speech on an optimistic note as to how excited you are to use the experiences gained in the company to use somewhere else. Your co-workers will surely like this optimism
- Be Audible and use hand gestures
To make any speech effective and impactful, one should speak clearly and use hand gestures to express better. In a farewell speech, you can apply the same techniques to make your speech impactful. Use relevant hand gestures and try to speak louder, not too loud, but to the extent that the audience can hear you.
- Make Eye contact
A major thing that one needs to keep in mind while delivering any speech is to make eye contact. Even while giving your farewell speech, you need to make eye contact with the audience. This makes the speech engaging and interesting. People say eyes say a lot. This is indeed the truth. You can make eye gestures and make your speech more impactful.
- Practice your speech
Do not be overconfident. Practice your speech a day before. It is better if you can memorize your speech. The expressions would come naturally if you have memorized your speech. Practicing the speech will help you use correct expressions in sentences and enhance your speech delivery skills. In short, practicing the speech beforehand will make it perfect.
These were some of the points to keep in mind while delivering your farewell speech at work. These points are important to make the speech effective and impactful.
Now to make the points more clear, here are two examples of farewell speeches at work. Farewell speeches at work are of two types- when you are retiring from your job or when you are leaving the company for better career opportunities.
Farewell Speech for Retirement
Good evening everyone,
Firstly, I would like to thank you all for taking out your time and assembling here to bid me adieu. The last day at the office is accompanied by a plethora of emotions. I feel happy, sad, and disheartened at the same time. This company has filled my basket with all the happy memories.
A special thanks to my content and graphics team, who made everything a cakewalk for me. Their managerial and organizational skills are commendable and I know whosoever gets a chance to supervise them would be grateful that I retired (smile gently). You people are young and talented, you will go miles ahead of us.
Not to forget our CEO, who always provided for a friendly working environment. Working with him for years, I never felt that he was my senior. I still remember my first day at the office when everything was new to me. It was you who geared me up. We always worked as contemporaries. Sir, your humble and jovial nature has inspired everyone and I am pretty sure, it will keep on inspiring the future of the company.
To the head of the Human Resources Department, Mr. Styles, I found a great friend and an advisor in you. You have always been there during my ups and downs in the company. From reviewing my presentations to reviewing this farewell speech, you have done it all. I feel blessed to have got a colleague-cum-friend in you. Thank you for always being there.
This company has taught me a lot. In the past thirty years of my career here, I have learned everything from how to celebrate success to how to deal with failures. The art of working under pressure and making the best out of whatever you have are some of the biggest lessons the company taught me. I was privileged to be surrounded by such brilliant minds.
Today, as I retire, a part of me is glad. While the other feels sad and nostalgic as I will no longer be able to work and see these cheerful faces daily. I will miss every person here. But as they say, every ending is a new beginning. I look forward to this new chapter of life.
Once again thank you for being the best colleague and a great audience.
This was an example of a farewell speech at work when the person is taking retirement from his career.
Farewell speech for leaving the job to avail new opportunities
Good evening everyone,
First of all, thank you for hosting this beautiful party to bid me adieu. This company has taught me a lot about marketing. These are some of the most valuable lessons of my life. It was always a dream to work for Walmart. I still remember the first day I entered my dream office. I felt proud, blessed, and pressured at the same time. Nothing can beat that feeling until now. Entering my own office gave me butterflies.
The treatment I got from my colleagues, who were my seniors, was exemplary. They treated me as their friend, we shared everything. We have respect for each other and each other’s work. A special thanks to the advertising and marketing teams, who made it easier to work. Being an employee at Walmart, we were busy most of the time, but my colleagues never missed a chance to have fun. I will miss these days of working continuously and then going out to celebrate our successes. This office has many memories attached to it.
To Mr. David, thank you so much for always being a helping hand. You never made me feel like you were my boss. I feel privileged to have worked under your guidance. I feel delighted to have met such brilliant minds in this office. You all made me fall in love with marketing even more. The zeal within me to do better each day is attributed to the working culture at Walmart.
As I leave this company to pursue yet another dream of starting something of my own, I feel overwhelmed. This company has taught me everything from the basics. I had never envisaged a life out of this abode of mine. This company marks the beginning of my career. I am glad that I am leaving with many learning experiences.
I am glad that finally, I am starting something of my own. But I will never forget the values and work ethics that Walmart taught me. I will take them with me and tailor them in my way. I am falling short of words to express my gratitude to this company.
I do not know what is in store for me. All I know is what I have learned here will surely help me in my life ahead.
Thank you
The above speech was an instance of a farewell speech at work when you are leaving the job to pursue new career opportunities.
The two speeches are different yet the same. Both are emotional and sentimental and are used to bid farewell to colleagues and co-workers. However, one is about getting retired and bidding farewell to work-life while the other is about stepping into a new world of more opportunities.
Difference between a farewell speech and a farewell speech at the office
Farewell speeches are of different types. Some are for the schools, some for parties and others for work. There is a thin line difference between a farewell speech and a farewell speech at work. The points of differences are as follows:
- Though both the speeches are meant to be emotional and personal yet the degree of personalization differs. While a usual farewell speech can be personalized to any extent, there is a limit to it when it comes to the farewell speech at work.
- The farewell speech during normal occasions can be informal, however, the farewell speech given at work has to be a perfect blend of formal and informal. You have to make sure that the farewell speech at work is not too informal as this would not be considered professional behavior.
- Any sort of language can be used in a usual farewell speech, however, there is a decorum that has to be maintained while delivering a farewell speech at work.
These were a few points of difference between a usual farewell speech and a farewell speech at work. There is a thin line difference and at times these lines get blurred.
Conclusion
Bidding adieu to your workplace is mostly a once-in-a-lifetime affair. It should be made memorable. You need to keep certain points in mind while preparing your farewell speech at work. The article mentioned some points that are advised to be kept in mind while writing and delivering the speech. You should be able to instill the points mentioned in the article in your speech to make it impactful and memorable.
You should keep the speech crisp and short so that people do not lose interest. People’s attention span is hardly more than fifteen minutes when it comes to speeches. You have to make it interesting and engaging. Make the best out of your farewell speech at work by using the points mentioned in the article.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Should the farewell speech at work be formal or informal?
The farewell speech at work is advised to be formal. However, you make it an amalgamation of both formal and informal speech. You can make it interesting and engaging by giving an informal touch to your formal speech. Just, say everything with due respect. Usage of words should be formal, avoid using informal or slang language.
What are some do’s while writing and delivering a farewell speech at work?
There are some things that you are advised to incorporate in your speech. Some of them are- using the right tone, speaking politely, keeping a smile on your face, and using hand gestures to make your speech more engaging and interesting. While writing the speech, draft an outline first and then work on it. This is important to give structure to your speech. Keep the speech professional and formal. Do praise and thank your colleagues and co-workers.
What are some of the don’ts while writing and delivering a farewell speech?
There are certain things that you have to avoid while writing and delivering a farewell speech. Some of them are- not to use informal and slang language for a farewell speech at work. Do not forget to show your gratitude towards your colleagues and boss. Do not keep your speech too long, it should be short and crisp. These are some of the don’ts to be kept in mind while giving a farewell speech at work.
What is the difference between a usual farewell speech and a farewell speech at work?
The thin line difference between a usual farewell speech and a farewell speech at work is that a usual speech can be informal and personalized to any degree. However, a farewell speech given at work has to be kept formal with a bit of an informal touch. It should not be personalized to a higher degree. You can use informal and slang language in usual farewell speeches while this is not the case in the farewell speech given at the office.
What are the two types of farewell speeches at work?
There exist two types of farewell speeches at work. The first one is given when a person is retiring from his working career. The other farewell speech at work is given when a person is leaving a job at a company to chase new career opportunities. Two different types of farewell speeches are given in both cases. One needs to make sure to formulate and deliver the speech accordingly.
