Why is this? and more importantly does anyone benefit from this behaviour. The fallout can negatively impact your brand and your business culture. As a manager do you allow your personal feelings to drive your behaviour, or do you put aside these feelings and work through the situation in a professional manner?
According to McCrindle Research Pty Ltd the Australian national average tenure in a job is 3.3 years. It is important to plan for the future to address staff turnover. There are many reasons why people move from role to role. Whether it be career growth opportunities, better work culture, more pay, shifting house or job satisfaction it is a constant cycle. We cannot always control these factors but we can choose how we react to the situation. By adopting a strategic professional manner, the transition process will be smoother and far less stressful. Put away those feelings of betrayal and uncertainty when losing a key resource.
Take the time to discuss the departure with the employee.
Find a private location where the employee feels comfortable and away from other staff, distractions and interruptions.
Find out the true reasons why they are leaving and is there anything that would change their mind?
Maybe they have been presented with an attractive package from another business. If they are a key person within your business and you don’t ask the question, you may miss an opportunity to present a counter offer.
Take feedback on board objectively.
If your employee is dissatisfied, take the time to talk it through and understand the issues. There are always two sides to every story but this does give you the opportunity to learn or confirm concerns in your business. Potentially these problems could also be affecting other staff members. Understanding the situation can help you put together a plan and address any issues.
Thank them for their contribution to the business.
In many cases employees spend more time at work than with their own families. They have invested themselves in a role and built lasting friendships. Be humble and thank them for their contribution.
Make a plan for informing staff.
Ever played the game Chinese Whisper? Take control of the message before different versions spread within the workplace. Plan with the employee a suitable time to inform everyone.
Formulate an effective handover.
Set a timing plan with your employee to handover any active projects they are working on or valuable information critical to the role. If your employee has been with you for a period of time, they will have valuable knowledge to impart, take advantage of this time to gather this information.
Finally, allow time for staff to celebrate and say goodbye.
This can be a sad time for everyone when a valuable and respected team member leaves. Celebrating is great for team morale, whether it is a cake at morning tea, dinner out or a celebrational staff meeting, this helps promote a healthy work culture. The way you treat your exiting staff can significantly impact the morale of your remaining employees. Handling this situation poorly or unprofessionally can have an ongoing negative impact for the business brand and your ability to attract quality staff in future. Plan to part on a good note, you never know when your paths may cross again.
Gen Ware is an experienced Recruitment Strategist for Inspire HQ, one of regional Victoria’s leading recruitment, human resource and career coaching companies. With a background in recruitment, marketing, business development and management her breadth of business acumen is strong. This experience sees Genevieve have a strong understanding and ability to connect with businesses. A real passion for matching the right people to the right roles sees her work with people’s strengths to get the best out of them.
