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Managers have been there. Everything at the company looks great, and employees seem satisfied and engaged. They communicate, collaborate, and perform everything the company needs. Then all of a sudden, one of your top performers calls for a meeting in your office. With everything running smoothly as of recently, you don’t suspect anything. Nevertheless, as that employee comes into your office and shuts the door behind you, they utter the words you never want to hear from them: I quit.
This is a scene that many employers and team leaders fear as it can disrupt many things, including team morale and performance. Although resignations are generally unpredictable, there are a few strategies you can take note of to prevent the negative consequences of the exit.
#1 Stay calm & be a good listener
It’s extremely tempting to speak your mind when employees, especially high-performing ones, announce their resignations. Nevertheless, you should always try your best to keep a cool head and listen to what they say because how you react to their decision may very well decide how your employee will spend his or her remaining days working in the company.
Be empathetic and actively listen to why they’re leaving. It may be the lack of flexibility, feeling undervalued, lack of development opportunities, problems with management, company culture, or low salary. By listening attentively, you may discover underlying issues working in the company.
For instance, if an employee states there is a lack of career growth opportunities, you may re-evaluate and look into that whether the company is providing enough and whether the majority of employees think the same. If so, work towards improving these aspects to minimize the same case of resignation from happening again.
#2 Ask questions and attempt to negotiate (if necessary)
As mentioned in #1, understanding what’s causing your employee to leave can help prevent unavoidable turnover in the future, and from there, you can ask the right questions.
Gentle yet pointed questions such as “is there anything we can do to change your mind?” can help you learn what you can do to retain them. You attempt to negotiate only when they are actively engaged in the conversation. Always remember to be respectful and notice cues when employees do not want to share more information or dodge your attempts at negotiating. Besides asking resigning employees questions, it is also recommended to conduct exit surveys. This can help them answer more truthfully as they are not talking to their team leaders directly.
#3 Get it in black and white
If you have not received an official resignation letter from the departing employee, ask for one. Then write a response letter signifying your formal acknowledgement of their resignation. A letter of acknowledgement should be clear and straightforward. Here’s an example:
[Employee Name]
This letter is an acknowledgement that we’ve received your resignation from the [Job title] position at [Company], effective [Last date of work]. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
#4 Create a smooth transition plan to reduce the disruption caused to the team
The resignation of any team member disrupts the company’s operations and overall team morale. The effect can even be damaging if the employer does not properly handle the employee’s transition. Here’s what you should look into to reduce the disruption:
- Carefully prepare and determine how you will share the departure of the employee with others, including members of the team, relevant clients, partners, and top management
- Seek the employee’s help in potentially identifying a replacement in the company
- Reassign important tasks or projects to a relevant team member or the replacement individual recommended by the departing employee
- Announce the news before the employee announces it themselves (and certainly before they leave). If you were to announce it after their departure, you might generate a strong feeling of uncertainty among team members
- Communicate with other team members effectively. The news of someone resigning will probably start many (mostly untruthful) rumours. When this happens, be sure to calm them down and continuously reassure them that this event is just a bump in the road
#5 Praise the former employee and try to keep in touch
After sharing the news with all relevant parties, take time to appreciate and praise the departing employee's work. However, this also depends on how long they have worked in the company.
You may also plan a small farewell party in the office. Nothing too fancy, just a gathering where co-workers can wish all the best to the former employee and say their goodbyes. Often, employees would certainly appreciate it.
After the employee has left, try to maintain a good relationship and keep in touch with them. Who knows, they could potentially become a future business partner, and their opinion of you as a good leader will only fortify.
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