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Farewell videos for colleagues
A farewell video from everyone, for a colleague who's leaving.
Colleagues, past and present, each record a short message from their phone. People Stories turns them into one farewell video for their last day.
Thank you for everything.
How every farewell video ends
Why a video
Why a farewell video beats a leaving card
A leaving card has space for a signature and a few words. Thirty seconds on camera leaves room for the story, the thank-you and the joke only that team would get.
- People who have moved on. Former colleagues can record from anywhere through the same link.
- Every office and every time zone. There is no envelope to pass round, so nobody is left out for not being in that day.
- Something to keep. They can watch it again, and you can download a copy for them.
How it works
How to make a farewell video for a colleague
- 1Collect. Add the person's name and last day, set a deadline and share one private link. Each person records up to a minute from a phone or laptop, with no account and no app.
- 2Review. Watch the preview, then trim, reorder or leave out clips until it feels right. The video ends on "Thank you for everything."
- 3Share. Send the link on their last day, or play it at the leaving do. You can download a copy for them to keep.
What to say
What to say in a farewell video
A good goodbye is specific. Ask people for one memory and one wish, and it will sound like them rather than a card. These four questions help:
- What's a moment with them you still remember?
- What did they teach you?
- What will the team miss?
- What do you wish them next?
Three examples
- From a teammate
“Priya, I still think about the launch week when you stayed on the phone with me until midnight and then brought in pastries the next morning. The team won't be the same. Good luck in Lisbon.”
- From their manager
“Priya, you taught half this team how to run a workshop, me included. Thank you for four brilliant years. They're lucky to have you.”
- From someone who left years ago
“Priya, it's Tom, from your first team. You were the one who showed me where everything was on my first day. Congratulations, and keep in touch.”
Every kind of goodbye
Farewell videos for retirements, managers and moves.
- Retirements. For a long career, ask people from all of it: former managers, colleagues who moved on years ago and clients who became friends. Anyone with the link can record, wherever they work now.
- A manager leaving. Their team can say what they'd never say in a meeting. Ask people from other teams they worked with, too.
- A remote colleague. Nobody has to be in the office on the day, and nobody is left out of the card because it never reached them.
- The end of a secondment or contract. A short video is a proper thank-you for someone who was only with you for a while.
When to share it
On the last day, or at the leaving do.
Set the deadline two or three days before, so there is time to review. Around thirty seconds a person works well; for a big send-off, ask people to keep it short so the video stays under five minutes. Playing it to the room works when the team is together; sending the link means people who couldn't be there see it too.
The alternatives
Farewell video, leaving card or group board?
- A leaving card. Room for a signature and a line, and it only reaches the people who happen to be in the office that week.
- An online group board. Easy to sign, but most people write a sentence and a GIF. Thirty seconds on camera is the story, the thank-you and the joke only that team would get.
- A video-editing app or template. Good for music and effects if you already have the clips, but someone still has to collect them and do the editing. People Stories collects the clips, names everyone and joins them for you.
You see every message before they do.
You watch each clip in the preview and leave out anything you'd rather not share. Colleagues contribute through a link without creating an account, and the finished video goes only to the people you send the watch link to.
Pricing
Free until you share it.
Invite the team, collect clips and watch the preview for free, with no card. You subscribe when you publish. One plan covers every welcome and farewell in the company.
See pricingGood to know
Questions about farewell videos.
- How long should a farewell video be?
- Under five minutes. Clips can be up to a minute, and around thirty seconds each works well. For a big send-off with many colleagues, ask people to keep it short.
- Can people who have already left the company take part?
- Yes. Anyone with the link can record, so former colleagues can join in.
- Can we keep it a surprise?
- Yes. Your note appears on the recording page, so you can ask everyone to keep it quiet.
- Can I check the messages first?
- Yes. You watch every clip before anything is shared and can leave any of them out.
- Can we add music or photos?
- No. A People Stories video is made of your colleagues' own clips, with a name card for each person, and we think that's the part people keep. If someone has a video they recorded earlier, they can upload it instead of recording.
- Can we play it at the leaving do?
- Yes. Download the video file and play it from a laptop, or open the private watch link on the screen in the room.
- Can someone re-record their message?
- Yes, from the same device they sent it from, until the deadline. You can also leave any clip out of the finished video.
- Does this work for a coworker in another office or country?
- Yes. People record from wherever they are, on a phone or a laptop.
- Can they keep the video?
- They watch it through a private link, and you can download the video file to give them a copy.
- Do we pay for each farewell?
- No. One plan covers the whole company, welcomes and farewells, with no limit on the number of videos.
People Stories