6 Ways To Respond When A Team Member Decides To Leave
Conventional people are roused to fury by departure from convention, largely because they regard such departure as a criticism of themselves.
Bertrand Russell
As an operations manager at my company, I am evaluated on employee turnover. I receive “higher” marks when our voluntary turnover numbers remain low.
It takes time and it costs money to bring new employees on board, so it’s seen as an advantage to keep existing employees as long as possible.
This year, I’ve lost three of my team members. In November, one of my employees retired after twenty-three years with the company. In December, one of my project managers left after fifteen years with the company to pursue an opportunity with a consulting engineering firm. And last week, one of my project managers left after seventeen years with the company to pursue a new challenge with a mechanical contractor.
According to company standards, this is not a good trend.
Trust me, I want to keep my employees. I want to help them grow and succeed in their careers within the boundaries of the company. But sometimes this is not possible – sometimes they have to pursue opportunities outside the company in order to reach their vocational aspirations.
As I was helping my team member carry his personal items to his car on Friday afternoon, it was obvious he was struggling to contain his emotions. In fact, he wept as we walked out the door and proceeded across the parking lot. I shook his hand, hugged him, and reminded him of the importance of taking leaps of faith.
Taking a leap to a new employer can be a scary prospect especially when you’ve been at one place for over seventeen years. But sometimes this type of leap is necessary. In his case, he would never know unless he took the risk of getting outside his comfort zone.
Over the next few weeks, I will be tasked with cleaning up his office and the projects which still needed attention at the time of his departure. I’m sure I will especially miss him during these weeks. As I tackle these challenges, I will pray that my former team members lands well at his new place of employment.
As a Christ-following leader, I believe this is part of my responsibility. If I really mean what I say when I say “I want to help my team members succeed”, I have to support them even when they leave the company to pursue new directions.
As leaders, we want to handle times of transition well. Here are some ways to respond when a team member decides to leave.
6 Ways To Respond When A Team Member Decides To Leave
- Listen. When a team member announces his resignation, leaders must learn to listen. Find out why he is leaving. Find out as much as you an about his new opportunity. As questions to help you understand his decision to leave.
- Celebrate. This can be a bit of a challenge especially when an employee is leaving you with a big hole to fill, but leaders must learn to celebrate the opportunity of the departing team member. Congratulate your team member for the upcoming opportunity.
- Transition. Depending on the situation, you may or may not have time to transition their current workload. If you have a week or two before the team member departs, use the time wisely. Go over a list of the items on your team members to do list, and help him prioritize to focus on certain tasks during the time of transition. If possible, find other team members who can help take on the work when the team member leaves. Use this time of transition to conduct hand-offs.
- Appreciate. Be sure to thank your departing team member for the time and efforts he has given to your team and to the company. Consider taking him out to lunch on his last day. Send him a thank you note. Let him know he is appreciated.
- Provide opportunity for good-byes. If possible, give the departing team member an opportunity to say good-bye to others in the company. An employee spends a lot of time with their co-workers. These relationships mean something, and it’s important to provide an opportunity for closure. (Note: In some cases, this is not possible. If a departing team member is heading to a competitor or is leaving for performance or compliance issues, it may be necessary to escort the employee to the door without time to say good-bye.)
- Pray. Pray for your departing team member. Pray he would land successfully at his next place of employment. Pray he would have good memories of his time with your company. And pray that others would rise up to fill the hole left by your departing team member. Pray you would have wisdom to lead your team through this time of transition and beyond.