How do I redirect requests that still come to me after I change roles?
Quick answer
Reply warmly, name the person or team now responsible, and make the next step clear. If you have an agreed transition period, state what you can still handle and when that support ends. Track recurring requests, their new owners, and unresolved handoff questions. Confirm responsibilities with your manager or the new owner rather than guessing, especially when a request is urgent or ownership is unclear.
The question, the details, the next step.
I’ve changed roles, but people still send me requests from my old job. How can I redirect them without sounding abrupt or making them feel abandoned?
Acknowledge the person and the request, then give one clear next step. Keep the explanation brief: you have moved roles, and [name/team] is now the right contact for this kind of work. If useful, offer to forward the message or introduce them once—but avoid implying you will continue owning the task.
You could write: “Thanks for reaching out. I’ve moved into [new role], so [name/team] now handles [type of request]. Please send this to [contact or channel]. I can forward your note this time if that helps.”
If the request is already in progress, add a short status update and say who will take it from here. A courteous redirect is clearer when the recipient can act on it immediately.
What if I’m expected to help for a while during the handoff? I don’t want to promise too much or leave the new owner without context.
Agree the boundaries with your manager and the incoming owner before making promises to requesters. Clarify what you will cover, what the new owner handles, how questions should reach you, and the date or condition that ends your transition support. The arrangement depends on your team; don’t assume a particular duration or responsibility.
Then use wording that matches that agreement: “[Name/team] owns new requests for [work]. Until [agreed date or milestone], I’m available to answer handoff questions about [specific topic]. Please include [name/team] so they have the context and can take the next step.”
If the end point or ownership is not agreed, ask your manager or the new owner to settle it before presenting it as a commitment. This keeps a helpful transition from quietly becoming indefinite support.
Some people keep coming back to me, and I’m losing track of what I’ve redirected or promised. What should I record?
Use a lightweight tracker for coordination, not a record of every detail of the work. Capture enough to follow up: when the request arrived, a brief request label, who owns it now, what you told the requester, any transition help you agreed to, and whether the handoff is complete. Keep sensitive or unnecessary personal details out of it, and use an appropriate team location if one exists.
For example, this hypothetical entry uses placeholders: Date: [date] Request: [brief label] New owner: [name/team] Redirect sent: [date and channel] My agreed handoff help: [specific action, if any] Next step / due point: [action and date or milestone] Status: [redirected / awaiting owner / handoff complete]
Review open entries at a regular point you choose, such as a weekly check-in. If the same request type keeps appearing, clarify the routing message or ask the owner to update the relevant team instructions.
Can you give me a complete message for a repeat request, plus a simple way to handle cases where I’m not sure who owns the work?
For a repeat request, you can be friendly without restarting the handoff each time: “Thanks for checking in. As mentioned, [name/team] now owns [request type]. Please send this to [contact/channel] so it reaches the right person. My agreed transition support is limited to [specific help] through [date or milestone]. I’ve copied/informed [name/team] so they can take it forward.”
Only include the copied/informed sentence if you actually did that. If you don’t know the owner, don’t guess or send the requester in circles. Say: “I’m not sure who currently owns this. I’ll check with [manager/team channel] and get back to you by [reasonable time you can meet].” Then ask the relevant people to confirm ownership and update your tracker. For urgent requests, use the team’s established escalation route rather than relying on an old role’s informal contact pattern.
The goal is a repeatable handoff: one clear owner, a defined limit on your temporary help, and a next step the requester can follow.
A practical checklist
Confirm the new owner and any transition boundaries with the relevant manager or incoming owner.
Use a short reply that acknowledges the request, names the owner, and gives a practical next step.
State temporary help and its end point only if those terms have been agreed.
Record the redirect, owner, any promised handoff action, and the next step in an appropriate tracker.
For unclear ownership, ask for confirmation rather than guessing; follow the established route for urgent requests.
A few more useful answers
Should I forward every old-role request myself?
Not necessarily. Agree whether forwarding is part of your transition support, and avoid letting it become an unspoken permanent duty. When appropriate, direct the requester to the new owner or established channel.
What if the new owner does not respond after I redirect a request?
Note the open handoff and follow the team’s usual escalation or coordination route. If the gap repeats, raise the ownership issue with the relevant manager rather than taking the work back by default.
How do I keep a transition tracker useful without making it burdensome?
Track only what helps close the handoff: a brief request label, current owner, redirect or agreed action, next step, and status. Review unresolved entries at a regular check-in and handle old entries according to your team’s normal practices.