Even if it’s happened before, the news of a key employee handing in their notice can sometimes come as a shock. And when someone so integral to your business’s operations decides to move, it’s easy to let feelings run amok. From disappointment to uncertainty about the future, these emotions can sometimes spiral out of control.
But by taking a decisive, proactive approach to departing employees, it doesn’t have to feel like a spanner’s been thrust into the company works. Knowing how to handle the situation can restore stability and continuity once again.
To make their exits as smooth as possible, we’ll take a look at the most effective things you can do when a key team member leaves the company.
What to do when a key team member hands in their notice
A key member of the team leaving can send the team spiralling if not dealt with correctly, but by tackling the issue with professionalism and clarity, your team can continue to perform without skipping a beat.
Here are our top tips to deal with a key team member leaving.
Don’t take it personally
One of the most important things you can do when an employee leaves is not to be hurt or offended. It’s not just your business they’re working hard for, they’re moving on so that they can progress in their career. Chances are, they’re leaving because they’ve outgrown their role and are looking for fresh challenges on the way to reaching their goals.
While it may be a shock for you, it’s still a success for them. They’ve been offered an opportunity, so be gracious and let them know you’re happy for them as they look towards starting a new chapter in their career. Maintaining relationships with ex-employees is important; you never know when your paths will cross in the future.
Listen to their reasons for leaving
Use their departure as an opportunity to learn. Their reasons for leaving can shine a light on certain things within the company that might need remedying. Were there personality clashes with other employees? Is there a lack of career progression? Perhaps they feel the money wasn’t sufficient for the work they were completing?
And though we’d advise against making any hasty counter offers, you could still use this information to address their concerns so that other employees don’t jump ship for the same reasons.
Assessing next steps
Once you’ve had the initial conversation, it’s time to map out the next steps. You must now make key decisions to ensure a smooth transition.
Identify critical gaps
A key team member leaving might leave significant gaps in your workforce. Make a list of the tasks they’re critically involved in and assess how those gaps can be filled in the short term. A handover document detailing their responsibilities or training for these projects will be incredibly useful for colleagues who are taking over.
Understand dependencies
If the colleague who is leaving is a manager, a replacement will likely need to be sourced, whether that means employing a new manager or their team falling under a new manager.
This decision should be made swiftly and efficiently to ensure there are no gaps when colleagues might be without a line manager.
Decide whether you’ll need to hire a replacement
Decide whether you’ll need to hire a replacement
Sometimes, it might turn out that you don’t need to replace this person after all. Take a look over the vacant role’s responsibilities and compare them to existing employees’ capabilities; can they take on these tasks, even if it’s for a little while?
Instead of immediately trying to hire a replacement, use this time to determine how the role should be defined, who should fill it and when. Hire internally if needed. Remember, making the right decision is much more preferable than making a fast one – especially if it’s a key position within the company.
Prioritise key areas
In time, the outgoing colleague’s responsibilities will need to be entirely replaced but, in the short term, it’s worth prioritising which responsibilities will need to be replaced immediately.
Assess how important the task and responsibilities are, as well as taking timescales into account. If a task is due to be completed just after the outgoing colleague has left, it might be worth prioritising that.
Work out the legalities
To avoid any litigious issues that may come back to bite you, work out any pay that you owe your employee, including vacation pay, benefits, bonuses or commission. Get any paperwork in order and make sure that your departing employee has their own copies just in case.
Communicating the upcoming departure
It’s now time to communicate the departure to the wider team. There are plenty of things to consider when doing this, so let’s jump into it.
Notify stakeholders as soon as possible
When a key employee decides to leave, you don’t want the news filtering through to stakeholders in the form of gossip and hearsay. They should always hear it from you first. As soon as you receive the news from the departing employee, inform your stakeholders as soon as you can.
Make an announcement promptly
Even if you don’t have a succession plan in place, you might not have the luxury of being able to wait for one. Time is of the essence, and employees need to hear the news from leadership, especially before rumours have time to spread.
When you inform employees, be candid with them. Let them know the departure is unwanted, but that change is unavoidable. Nevertheless, you have the solutions and resolve in place to deal with the change properly.
Acknowledge others’ emotions
If the employee was a well-liked member of their team, then it’s bound to impact their colleagues in an emotional way. Instead of ignoring this side of things, be sympathetic to your employees and listen to them if they want to talk. You might consider hosting a goodbye lunch or drinks after work so the team can give the employee a proper send off, which can give remaining employees’ morale a boost.
Discuss their leaving plan
It might be the case that they’re leaving for a direct competitor. With instances like this, they may need to leave the business immediately, so make sure you have established procedures in place. For example, is there any risk to your business from a competitive basis? If so, they may have to sign a non-disclosure agreement or be placed on gardening leave until their notice period is over.
Tips for when the key team member leaves
Once the team is aware and the notice period is drawing to a close, it’s now an appropriate time to conduct the last steps before your colleague departs from the company.
Here are the final tips to consider.
Conduct a formal exit interview
Holding a formal exit interview before they leave gives you the chance to learn from them, so listen to their concerns – the issues they raise might also affect other team members.
An employee who knows they’re leaving will likely feel more compelled to be honest about the organisation, its leadership and any changes they think you should make. Let them be as candid as possible with you. It might result in some unpleasant home truths, but their responses can also be very valuable.
What can you do more of, less of or modify going forward? Respond and act accordingly to their concerns so that you can improve the experience for your current workforce.
To conclude, having a plan in place and knowing which steps to take means you can successfully make employee departures a smooth process. By keeping communication lines open between everyone who is affected, it ensures the employee leaves on a positive note and gives you feedback to act on after they depart.
Additionally, your response to the news can help to allay the concerns and worries that other employees may be feeling during this time.
And if you’re looking for further insights on how to deal with upheaval and change in the workplace, then learn how to mitigate and manage threats with our introduction to risk management here.
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