By David Crary
Having an employee quit can be both a shocking, and quite frankly, crappy experience. This is especially true if it is one of your top employees who quits. They tend to know the most about a certain aspect of your company and are the ones you can count on to complete said aspect quickly and efficiently.
While there really is no way to stop an employee from leaving your company, there are lessons you can learn from losing an employee that will help you be better prepared in the future. Paul Spiegelman, founder and CEO of The Beryl Companies, and co-founder of the Small Giants Community, a global entrepreneur group, provides five lessons that can be learned from a top employee quitting.
Lesson 1: Read the warning signs. At times it can be obvious the employee is looking for a new job. Their behavior at work may change either by being restless or choosing to be less involved. Keep your eyes open for changes in their work patterns.
Lesson 2: Train all managers to avoid surprises. If you are a larger company, it can be tough to monitor every employee. Be sure your managers are well trained on the warning signs as well. This gives you an extra set of eyes and ears throughout the office, so any behavior changes don’t go unnoticed.
Lesson 3: Build close relationships with your people. Have honest and open conversation with your employees. Make them feel comfortable enough to talk to you. Spiegelman says to be frank with your employees. “"If you are ever thinking about leaving, just tell me," I say. I also openly tell an employee if his job is at risk.”
Lesson 4: Nurture employees’ personal visions. Every business has their own set of goals and values. What usually lacks is an understanding of employees’ personal goals. Make it a company goal to help employees progress towards their goals as well.
Lesson 5: Have a back-up plan. Being prepared to cover the duties of any employee is one of the most important lessons learned when an employee leaves. It can be very difficult to take over someone else’s job without any sort of plan or guide. Be sure you can fill the role until a new employee is hired and well trained in the role.
Losing an employee is never easy. It puts a lot of strain on the company as a whole. But with any tough situation there are always lessons to be learned. Learn from your struggles and you will be better prepared the next time it happens.
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