Staff Resignations - How They Can Impact Your Business Long-Term

It's a moment that we've all been through and dreaded in our careers. You've found a new job that you believe will help your career, and you're obviously excited! There's just one glaring hurdle to get over before you get there - handing in your notice at work.

I'd consider myself to be quite a lucky person in this regard. Every time I've handed in my notice, it's been amicable. I've always been thanked for my service, and the classic "We're sorry to see you go" line has been uttered on more than one occasion. All in all, a positive experience, and left me with nothing but good things to say about those companies.

In fact, the above would suggest that the feeling is mutual - according to a poll I ran last week (still open), 91% of people would welcome back a former team member if they got on with them. I was surprised by the no voters (in particular the one that was a fellow rec2rec ??). If you got on with them, why wouldn't they be welcome back? After all, it's tough to admit that you made a mistake in the first place by coming back. So swallow your 'pride', just as they have theirs.

However, during my tenure in recruitment one of my tasks is to catch up with people I've helped after they've handed in their notice. I'm sorry to say that the number of times that they have been made to feel 2 inches tall afterwards is increasing all the time. If you happen to be one of these employers that do this, then you may be doing your business more harm than good. I will now raise some points as to why it's a bad idea.

"The last impression is the lasting impression"

1.) As Above

The above is from a scientific investigation back in 2018 - google the above sentence and you should find the one I am talking about. It's more to do with the art of negotiation, but isn't that what successfully leaving a job is?

You may feel like you gave the employee everything you had during their time with you, and they may have had only good things to say about the company. That was until you went off on a tirade about them leaving. This last impression will be the most prominent memory of you. Think they'll be saying good things now? Very unlikely.

2.) Put Yourself in Their Shoes

They've worked for you for years and spent more time with their colleagues than their own family in that time. They've been there when needed and worked through the good times and bad. They've essentially helped you build your dream. They've sacrificed a lot. It's very admirable!

Now, granted, you've paid them for this service and sacrifice and feel that this is enough, but if The Pandemic has taught me anything, it's that life is too short to be unhappy. I remember years ago a close colleague of mine had possibly the worst commute I'd ever seen. He was out of the house before his baby son was awake, and was returning home after he was already asleep. He was missing out on a lot of his childhood and made the tough decision of taking something closer to home in order to spend more time with his family. Nobody begrudged him that, and we completely understood.

Every employee has a private life and a home routine that simply can't be compromised. If your employment impacts this and somewhere else could change that, wouldn't you look at moving? It's very straightforward.

Remember, The employee standing in front of you is several rungs down from you on the ladder. They're on a lot less than you financially, and they may not have any powers in the way of decision-making. Their daily experience is far removed from yours, so it's important to remember not to see the company through your own Rose-Tinted glasses when a resignation takes place

3.) Nobody likes being treated like a traitor.

Above is a pole that I ran a few weeks ago, and the results were a bit sad. 73% of voters said they'd been made to feel like a traitor upon leaving, which is about 73% too high in my opinion. How this still happens is beyond me.

One conversation I had recently with a candidate even brought up the fact that their employer got solicitors involved to change a contract because it hadn't been updated in years, and had no restrictive covenants in it. Seems perfectly normal, until you find out that the employee had already handed their notice in and was under no obligation to sign anything. I won't sugarcoat it, but what a dick move!

Now, of course, there will rarely be a valid reason as to why an employer would feel the need to vent their frustration at this point, but the majority of the time there's simply no need for it.

For most roles in my sector, the average notice period is around 4 weeks. How you react to their resignation could be the difference between that time flying past or dragging. I'll explain further.

If they leave your office feeling that it went well and that you have respected their decision and taken it with good grace, then their last 4 weeks with the company will be enjoyable. They will still work hard as the respect they initially had is still there, and they will probably have only good things to say about their tenure when they eventually move to pastures new.

Now let's say you flew off the handle at their resignation. You belittled them for having the audacity to want to leave, what you consider, to be the best employer in the market. You can't understand why anyone would want to leave. So this person in front of you is a traitor!

This brash and cocky attitude will more than likely have a negative impact on your company's reputation. Their next four weeks will go very slowly, and they'll get to the point of resenting you and the company during that time. Think they'll just let it go? Think again....

4.) Glassdoor and Google Reviews

Well, this is awkward - you forgot that this was a thing! And unfortunately in your case, it's an easy way for a former employee to tell the world how they feel - be it good or bad

An interesting comparison on this is TripAdvisor. A study once suggested that people are 2 to 3 times more likely to post an angry review when they've had a bad experience than to write a good review when they had a positive one. Therefore, the rating may not be entirely fair, but it's just how our minds work in different ways.

The same goes as an employer. If an ex member of staff is aggrieved, they will be very tempted to tell the whole world exactly what they feel about your company. And they will be as brutally honest as possible with good reason. So, in order to maintain a fair representation of the business, it makes sense to treat every departing employee with respect and empathy.

So, in order to limit any long-term effects from taking hold in your company, please try to follow the following process when somebody intends to leave:

• Ask the reasons why calmly - this gives you a chance to see if there is anything going wrong in the business, and you can stamp out any bad behaviour that might be happening.
• Empathise - Realise how hard it probably was for them to have the courage to have this conversation with you. They've shown true grit to do so, so don't make it any harder for them than it needs to be.
• Ask if there is any way they'd reconsider - it may boil down to internal progression or money. If they have expressed either of these as the main reason for leaving (and you can actually do something about it), then a counter-offer may be in order.
• If not, respect their decision - getting angry that they're standing their ground will get you nowhere, so refrain from doing so, and be respectful.
• Show them how valued they are - the lines "Thanks for all your hard work", "You'll be missed" and "Sorry to see you go" take seconds to say, but mean so much to someone who has dedicated so much time to work for you.
• Agree on a notice period - It could be they work the full notice, it could be you both agree to shorten it. Garden Leave? Perhaps, whatever makes you both comfortable.

If you follow these steps, then there'll be no need for your former team members to slate your company in the market, and you should be proud that you've been so professional regarding this situation.

This will also echo for anyone incoming. If they like the look of your business and are interested in joining, then they will do their research in advance. If they see mostly positive things, their mind will be settled and they'll be more likely to join. So your behaviour should only ever be professional, regardless of the situation.

After all, who in their right mind gets a kick out of yelling at others? Egotistical morons would be my guess.

I'll leave you with one final thought - you never know what someone is going through in their private life. So be nice, be kind, and be a decent human. There's simply no room for anything else.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!