Onboarding
Part of Community roles and operating routines
Building a handover for an absent community manager
Prepare a deputy to cover open community cases, permissions, member commitments and the return handover.
An absence handover lets a named deputy find open work, act within their authority and tell members what happens next. Keep the operating record current, then add an absence note with the dates and any temporary decisions.
A document assembled only on the manager’s last day may already be out of date.
Define the deputy’s authority and access
State the period of cover and the decisions the deputy may make: publishing routine notices, assigning a specialist, changing a planned discussion or approving an escalation. Name who decides matters outside that authority.
If several people cover the absence, give each workstream one owner and a shared route for unresolved items.
Before the absence begins, check the deputy’s access. They may need the moderation queue, member contact route, working notes and approved publishing controls. Test each required space, and use the organisation’s account and permission process rather than sharing the manager’s account.
Pre-Absence Checklist for Community Manager
- Confirm deputy’s access to moderation queueTest access before absence begins.
- Assign ownership per workstreamEnsure each stream has one named owner; use shared route for unresolved items.
- Verify publishing controls and contact routesEnsure deputy can publish routine notices and escalate issues.
- Document temporary policy decisionsRecord any exceptions or short-term rules in effect during absence.
- Avoid sharing manager’s accountUse organisation’s permission process instead.
Hand over live work
For each open item, record its location, current state, next action, owner and review time. Keep sensitive details in the approved case system, accessible only to people who need them. A short working record can look like this:
| Item | Current state | Next action | Owner and review time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product-setting question | Specialist answer requested; member told it is being checked. | Follow up with the specialist and reply. | Named deputy, next staffed period. |
| Reported reply | Context reviewed; second decision pending. | Obtain review before notifying the author. | Named moderator, agreed review time. |
| Scheduled discussion | Opening post drafted; no host assigned to replies. | Assign a host or postpone it. | Named deputy, before publication. |
The rows are illustrative cases, not service targets. Do not copy private reports into a broadly shared handover. Record member questions and commitments from other channels in the working record too.
Key Metrics for a Successful Handover
- Open Items Documented
- All active cases recorded with next action and owner
- Access Tested
- Deputy verified in all required systems (moderation, publishing, contact)
- Sensitive Data Secured
- Private reports stored in approved case system only
- Return Handover Complete
- No unresolved questions or reports between owners
Preserve the decisions that affect members
Give the deputy the current response promise, escalation contacts, planned activities and temporary policy decisions. Distinguish approved official guidance from answers still awaiting verification. Keep the handover focused on current work rather than duplicating the conduct policy.
State who acts while the manager is away and any exceptional contact route. Routine cases should have an owner who can resolve or escalate them without relying on the absent manager.
Practise the handover and return it
Before the absence, have the deputy locate an open item, identify its next action and check the required access. Resolve missing permissions or ownership while the manager is available.
When the manager returns, transfer unresolved items, decisions made, member commitments and changes to the routine. Confirm who owns each remaining case. The handover is complete when no question or report is left between owners.
Handover Process for an Absent Community Manager
- Pre-absence preparationDefine deputy’s authority, verify access, and test permissions.
- Hand over live workDocument open items with status, next action, owner, and review time.
- Share decisions affecting membersInclude response promises, escalation contacts, and temporary policy changes.
- Practise the handoverDeputy locates an open item, confirms access, and identifies next steps.
- Return handoverTransfer unresolved items, decisions, commitments, and confirm ownership.
