Having an employee turn in their resignation letter is going to happen from time to time. Situations change causing a need for a new job or they may just hate you and the company and need to leave. This can either be a complete surprise or it was a situation bound to happen.
Having an employee quit can either be a relief or it can be the end of your world. No matter your feelings on their resignation, there are proper steps to take. We have put together some things to avoid doing when an employee resigns as well as some things that you should be doing to help make this time easier.
Key Takeaways:
-
Try to avoid taking the resignation personally because there could be many reasons the employee is leaving.
-
Don’t make any promises about the employee always having a job at the company in the future because situations change and that promise will be broken eventually.
-
Make sure you acknowledge the resignation and obtain a resignation letter to make it official.
-
Before the employee leave, make sure to have a transition plan in place to have a smooth transition.
6 Things To Avoid Doing When AN Employee Resigns
There’s a lot of things that you should do when an employee hands in their resignation letter. Here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid doing when your employee resigns:
-
Taking it personally. Try to avoid taking their resignation personally. There could be many reasons they are leaving. Maybe the employee is leaving because he or she dislikes working for you as a manager, or maybe it’s something different. It could be family issues, salary, learning opportunities, or just needing a breath of fresh air. Whatever it is, you’ll find out in the exit interview.
Becoming immediately defensive or taking it personally when your employee is trying to get through an already nerve-wracking conversation about quitting will leave a bad taste in the employee’s mouth. If you find yourself becoming defensive, take a deep breath and remind yourself that employees come and go as part of life in business. Try to suspend your suspicions at least until the exit interview.
-
Argue or berate. Even if your employee has done an open job search, giving notice is still nerve-wracking. If you immediately lash out at her or tell him how glad you are that he’s leaving because he’s awful, you have just made every “bad boss” nightmare come true. If you’re prone to outbursts, coach yourself to take a deep breath when you’re confronted with the situation and make sure you have a positive response prepared.
-
Express relief publicly. Don’t immediately tell every other employee how relieved you are that the departing employee is departing. Don’t do it in one-on-ones, or even if you have a great relationship outside of work. It makes you look unprofessional and will make the other employees wonder whether you’re harboring similar thoughts about them and their performance. Even if you are positively bursting with glee that the departing employee is leaving, wait until you’re with your partner or a non-work friend to revel in your delight.
-
Play politics. Telling the employee not to say anything to anyone until you can figure out how to spin the situation will come across as spineless and ridiculous. Chances are that the employee has already told their friends, and, by playing politics, you’ll look spineless and ridiculous to them, too. If you do need to handle the situation carefully, it’s better to say, “Let me check and see exactly the process for handling this; I’ll get back to you ASAP,” and say nothing about explicitly keeping it quiet due to spin.
-
Avoid making promises. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is saying “you will always have a job with us” because that may not be the chance. The business needs may change or they may no longer be the most qualified and skilled candidate for the position. Let them know that you are available to be a reference if they need instead.
-
Not doing anything. Whatever you feel or whatever the next steps are, you should never just say, “Okay; thank you,” and go right back to work. Your employee likely has no idea what might happen next. Will you give him a counter-offer? What exit interview process will she need to follow? Will he be immediately walked off the premises because he’s going to a competitor or is in a sensitive role? Is she allowed to tell her colleagues or publish it on social media? Take the time to talk through the next steps and questions, realizing that you may have to admit to not knowing all the answers and will be finding out.
What to do When an Employee Resigns
-
Acknowledge it. Acknowledging that your employee is resigning is the first step. Ignoring the fact that they are leaving won’t stop them from leaving, but it can make things around the office awkward.
During this time, you can ask about where they are going and congratulate them on the new opportunity. Also express your gratitude for their time working there and let them know they are a valued employee. You can also offer to be a reference for them if they need it in the future.
-
Obtain a resignation letter. If they told you they are planning on resigning, make sure you have them write it down and turn it in. This will help clarify that they left voluntarily and when their last day of employment is. If you are unable to get a resignation letter from them, write down the date and reasons that they are leaving and put it in the employee’s personnel file.
-
Create a transition plan. Having a smooth transition is the key to a successful employee resignation. Having a plan can help you be prepared for any new employees coming in and will help if there is an employment gap between the employee leaving and a new one coming in. Here are some things to have in your plan:
-
Ask your employee to write down all the responsibilities and tasks that they handle in a day.
-
Talk to your employee about any projects that they are working on and any loose ends that need to be tied up.
-
Determine if you need to hire someone immediately or if you are able to split the work between yourself and other staff until someone comes in.
-
-
Ensure the return of company property. Before the employees last day, make sure that they return any company property such as uniforms, cellphone or laptops, and building keys. After their last day and they leave the building, make sure that you disable their access to any company websites and create new codes.
-
Notify staff and clients. After your employee puts in a resignation letter, you should inform staff of their leaving. Also inform their clients that they will no longer be with the company, and let them know of the new employee who will be handling their account.
-
Conduct an exit interview. This doesn’t need to be an official sit-down meeting for most companies. This will be the time that you let them know how much you appreciate their work. Also get their feedback to help make any changes to the company.
Final Thoughts
Reacting correctly to an employee who gives notice will smooth out their experience. If the employee has a good experience with you on the way out, your other employees will know about it. This will build your reputation as a boss, and you will have to have this conversation fewer times in the future.
Author
Taylor Berman
Taylor is a freelance writer from Pennsylvania. Taylor got into writing because she enjoys writing articles that help people and loves creating stories that inspire. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and public relations with an interest in communications media from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
