We always tell employees as they leave one company for another not to burn any bridges, but this is also true for companies who are losing employees. While the relationship you had with the employee might not have been the best, you still want them to leave as a brand ambassador. We lay out a few ways employees leave, how you should react, modern etiquette, and share a Kavaliro story.
There are three ways employees leave companies, on a good note, on a bad note, and with no hard feelings.
Employees who leave on a good note are often the easiest to deal with but the hardest to see go! These are the employees who routinely give more than two weeks notice, who offer to work with your company after they have left (while their replacement ramps up), and who become brand ambassadors for your company. These are the types of ex-employees you want to stay in touch with! Encourage those still with the company to keep in touch, and celebrate the ex-employees successes. Pro Tip: Follow your ex-employees on LinkedIn
Employees who leave on a bad note are hopefully few and far between for your company. Separating these employees can be stressful and can disrupt your current employees' ability to do their jobs. Be sure that you work with your existing team and give them extra time to complete the tasks that they have abruptly had to pick up and look after. The best way to deal with these relationships is to have a clean separation and let HR handle it. Your HR department is trained to deal with situations that most managers are not. If an employee starts to get rowdy, contact your HR department right away.
Employees who leave with no hard feelings are the most common kind of separation that you will encounter as a business. The employee might have gotten a better offer, found a position with more education opportunities, or have decided to make a shift in their career. As a boss and business, you should attempt to be happy for the employee and have them outline the responsibility that they were handling, and make plans for any projects they are in the middle of. This kind of employee separation can be painless if done correctly, and you might even be able to turn the employee into a brand ambassador for your company and work with them in the future.
The business side of an employee separation is just as important as the candidate side. When employees leave your company, there will be a financial loss as well as a knowledge loss. When a company is civil as an employee separates the employee is significantly more likely to assist their previous employer.
An example: Kavaliro had a team member who worked with us for a long time and who had developed a very defined system for managing their clients. As Kavaliro transitioned to have a new employee take over, the ex-employee agreed to stay on as a consultant so that we could prevent knowledge loss and ensure things were handled properly. This kind of employee-employer relationship is essential to ensure things go smoothly.
At Kavaliro, we manage hundreds of employees every year, some separations are painless, and some can be a little tough. We have become huge advocates for conducting employee surveys after they have left. The insight into Kavaliro that ex-employees have allows us to improve our processes and work to become the best company we can.