{"id":95,"date":"2017-11-21T14:19:12","date_gmt":"2017-11-21T14:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/heeleyresourcing.co.uk\/blog\/?page_id=95"},"modified":"2018-05-17T14:18:08","modified_gmt":"2018-05-17T14:18:08","slug":"employee-suddenly-resigns","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/heeleyresourcing.co.uk\/blog\/employee-suddenly-resigns\/","title":{"rendered":"What do you do when an employee suddenly resigns?"},"content":{"rendered":"

So, it\u2019s Friday afternoon, you\u2019ve had a decent week and you\u2019re looking forward to the weekend. Just before home time, a member of your staff comes to see and requests a private meeting and before you can say POETS day, they hand you their resignation. Once you get over the shock, how do you respond? How is their work going to be covered? Why? <\/span><\/p>\n

Unexpected resignations can present big challenges for managers and business owners, especially those unaccustomed to dealing with them. It might be something that has not happened for some time or it could be the first time it has happened to you. Sudden employee departures are especially hard on the psyche. If you\u2019ve grown to really rely on that person, you may feel a number of emotions, alone, let down, deserted, betrayed, worried. \u00a0The blog will try and give you some tips to help you manage the separation and make the transition as smooth as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Have a plan <\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Large organisations with HR Depts. will (or they should have) a plan for such eventualities. As a smaller business, probably with no HR Dept. that doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t have. Have a plan and know what it is. This maybe depend on circumstances, for example; if they are going to a competitor, put them on garden leave for their notice period. During this time, they are still under the obligations in their employment contract. The notice period should be as stated in their contract of employment along with any restrictive covenants, which may prevent them working for a competitor for a specified period of time. Take away any ID cards, IT access, equipment etc. \u00a0Remember though, if they are on garden leave, they are entitled to their full salary and benefits. <\/span><\/p>\n

    If you think this is a little draconian and\/or they are not leaving to join a competitor, you may want them to work their notice and perhaps the next working day you can agree handover etc. What you do will dictate on the circumstances, but knowing what to do quickly in these circumstances is important.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    1. Don\u2019t \u201cGo off on one\u201d<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Although this might be what you are feeling inside, don\u2019t get over emotional, angry and start immediately asking, what, why etc etc. Take a breath and think of point 1. Even though you may be angry, try and engage in a pleasant and professional way. In the world of work today, people come and go more often and it is important to maintain relationships. Someone once told me, never burn your bridges no matter what the circumstances as you never know when you might need them in the future. It was very wise advice. The same applies when staff leave, how you handle it reflects on you and your business.<\/span><\/p>\n

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      1. Ask for the reason WHY<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Once the dust has settled, it is still important to understand why. If they say \u201cfor more money\u201d, dig deeper as it very rarely is in my experience, although that may be a consequence of the new job, the fact that they were looking in the first place, normally has its roots in other factors, which may include you. Alternatively, it could be for personal reasons eg their partner is moving from the area for a new position, or other personal reasons. This could be an opportunity to offer support and help if you can.<\/span><\/p>\n

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        1. Counter offer or not to counter offer, that is the question!<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          I have lost count the number of times this has cropped up in my career so far. In my experience, counter offers very rarely work in the medium or long term. As mentioned before, money is very rarely the reason for leaving and if they accept the counter offer, the actual reason(s) for leaving will still be there and all it does is give them more bargaining power somewhere else. There may be exceptional circumstances where it may be appropriate, there are always exceptions however, a better strategy could be to maintain relationships and re-recruit in a years time.<\/span><\/p>\n

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          1. Collaborate and Communicate<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            You can\u2019t control how others react to the news, but you can control how it gets communicated. Look at collaborating with your exiting employee on how to best present the departure. \u201cSay, \u2018Let\u2019s talk about what you\u2019re going to say and what I\u2019m going to say.\u2019\u201d Does the employee prefer to tell others one-on-one? Would you \u2014 the boss \u2014 like to make an announcement? Should the news circulate via email? Be honest and open when communicating the departure to others. Explain the circumstance in plain language and assure them you are working hard to find a suitable replacement and doing your best to make the transition as smooth as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

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            1. Make a recruitment plan<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              If you are going to replace, make a plan. This could be an opportunity for you to reorganise and create opportunities for existing staff. Turn it into a positive for the rest of the staff. It may be the opportunity you\u2019ve been looking for to restructure.<\/span><\/p>\n

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              1. Have a party<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                Now this may seem counter intuitive, but as I\u2019ve said before, how a person leaves is important. Remember those bridges. It doesn\u2019t have to be a lavish affair but wish them well (even if they are going to a competitor. They may want to come back). It will send the message that employees are not just plug in here today, gone tomorrow commodities, but are valued.<\/span><\/p>\n

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                1. Take time to reflect<\/b> \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  Good managers should never be \u201ctruly surprised\u201d when an employee announces they are leaving. As a manager, you need to be aware of people\u2019s interests and needs. You should know what they want to do, and you should be able to tell when someone is tired of their job, \u00a0is not engaged, or has life changes afoot \u2014 like a move or a spouse transfer \u2014 that make a resignation likely. If this news did indeed blindside you, it is incumbent on you to start having more contact with your team so that you know what they want for their future and can predict or prevent these situations going forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

                  Read more of our articles<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0visit our main site<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  So, it\u2019s Friday afternoon, you\u2019ve had a decent week and you\u2019re looking forward to the weekend. Just before home time, a member of your staff comes to see and requests a private meeting and before you can say POETS day, they hand you their resignation. Once you get over the shock, how do you respond? […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/heeleyresourcing.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/95"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/heeleyresourcing.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/heeleyresourcing.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heeleyresourcing.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heeleyresourcing.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/heeleyresourcing.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/95\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":179,"href":"http:\/\/heeleyresourcing.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/95\/revisions\/179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/heeleyresourcing.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}