What to Include in a Job Handover — The Complete List
Published April 2026 · 6 min read
A handover document is only as good as what you put in it. Most people write about their job description. The best handovers write about their actual work — the projects, the people, the processes, and the knowledge that only exists in their head.
1.Active projects
For every project you own or contribute to, document: the project name and purpose, current status, what the next concrete action is, who else is involved, and where relevant files live. The most common handover failure is a project described as "in progress" with no indication of what "in progress" actually means. Be specific: "Waiting on legal to review the vendor contract — follow up with Tom in legal if no response by Thursday."
Example:
Project: Website redesign Status: Design approved, development starts Monday Next step: Developer kickoff call with Fiona at 10am Monday Files: /Drive/Marketing/Website 2026/
2.Key contacts
List every person — internal and external — who matters to this role. For each one: their name, company or team, their relationship to your role, and the best way to reach them. Don't just list names. Explain why they matter. "Sarah Chen — VP at Acme Corp — our primary client contact, prefers to be briefed by email on Fridays before the weekly call."
3.Recurring commitments
These are the things most likely to fall through the cracks. List every regular meeting, report, or process. Include: what it is, how often it happens, who else is involved, how long it takes, and where supporting materials live. Weekly standups. Monthly reports. Quarterly reviews. Annual renewals. If it happens on a schedule, it needs to be in the handover.
4.Tools and system access
Document every tool, platform, or system used in this role. For each: what it's used for, the login or account details (securely — don't put passwords in a Google Doc), and who to contact to get access. Include anything non-obvious. Most people document Salesforce and Slack. Fewer people document the vendor portal that only gets logged into once a month, or the shared inbox that forwards to a personal account.
5.Critical knowledge
This is the most valuable section and the one most often skipped. It's the stuff that only you know. The workaround for the system that's been broken for two years. The client who will only speak to a senior person. The report that looks like it's automated but actually requires a manual step every month. Write down everything that would cause a problem if the next person didn't know it.
6.In-progress decisions
If there are decisions that are pending, mid-way, or waiting on others, document them. What the decision is, where it stands, who's involved, and what the timeline is. These are easy to miss because they don't look like active work — but they can stall for months if someone doesn't know to follow up.
Don’t write it from scratch
OneLast.Day reads your Google Workspace and builds this list from your actual work.
Create my handover document →One-time payment · $20 USD · No subscription