What to do when your star employee resigns? (and how to spot one who is about to leave)
It’s always a shock when a performing and seemingly happy employee sends his/her resignation letter and decides to move on to greener pastures.
The way a manager/leader handles the transition of a star employee out of the company, speaks volumes about the internal work-culture of the organisation. An exceptional and promising worker resigning out of the blue is always disappointing, but it’s vital that the situation is treated with sensitivity and maturity.
I have thrice faced this situation of a star employee resigning at Alore. It was a bitter learning but learning nonetheless. Here are some measures that managers can take if a star employee resigns:
Communicate with the existing team:
When a star employee resigns it is bound to have a dampening impact on the rest of the work team. Communicate the news in a positive manner, do not bad-mouth the employee for leaving and show appreciation for the work done in the past.
Keep the lines of communication open with existing employees and have candid discussions on what can be done better by the company to retain top talent.
Invite feedback from your staff and check that your organisational policies are employee friendly in nature. Enhance morale by implementing pointers given by workers so that they are more comfortable in their job environment.
A positive and open attitude can do wonders in uplifting the spirit and reducing further attrition in your organisation.
Manage the Transition:
It’s always turbulent when a star employee who has been handling large chunks of work resigns and there is no one to fill in. Speak with your staff and let them know that they may need to undertake extra role responsibility during the transition phase.
Make sure that there is a proper handing over of job duties between the employee who is leaving and his immediate new incumbent. Don’t overload employees with work and smoothen the transition process by communicating new work roles clearly.
The changeover period when a key player quits requires major adjustment from the existing team and the right guidance will surely assist for a seamless evolution at the workplace.
Keep in Touch:
Treat your outgoing employees well so that they hold a positive image of your organisation and speak highly of the time spent there. Don’t hold on to grudges, accept that people need to move on for professional growth and always keep the doors of dialogue open when an employee resigns.
Do not hesitate to show your support by providing referrals or recommendations if required. If someone is leaving your organisation, be sure to conduct an exit interview to find out the reasons and wish them well in their future endeavours.
Keep in touch with employees who have left and let them know they will be welcomed back if they wish to return. The correct attitude can work wonders in helping you manage the resignation of a top employee and it’s important to handle such changes with dignity.
My personal advice to managers and leaders is to constantly nurture your team’s talent but simultaneously always be on an ABH -Always Be Hiring mode.
Here are some key indicators to spot an employee who is about to leave :
1) Employee no longer commits to or wants to deliver long-term projects
2) Consistently contributes less during meetings for weeks.
3) Say “Yes” to everything and never raises questions
4) Is absent or is late to work always
5) Starts taking more personal calls
6) Has added no new skills lately
7) Productivity has dropped massively or most of time misses deadlines
8) Has friction with most of the employees especially his team leads or people who try to put him on track
9) Smoke breaks and coffee breaks have become longer
10) Complains for almost everything, from people to food to even weather
11) Takes longer time to reply to mails, whatsapp/slack messages or calls
12) Very difficult to motivate him/her
There’s no doubt that losing a good worker is unpleasant, but it’s imperative to stay in control of the situation. Focus on retaining your existing team by creating a workplace that keeps them stimulated and engaged in all aspects and to keep a backup pipeline of talent — ABH- Always be Hiring !
Do let me know what you feel you would do if your star employee resigns or how you spot one ?
