The pressure of an employee entering your office like its begging for freedom can be worrisome. It’s hard to let go of an employee, especially if he/she is the most proactive among the rest and have contributed a lot of great things for your company.
It’s up to you to make that decision to let him/her go. Not all things are constant, let alone your employees. Listed below are a few tips we’d like to share for a smoother resign transition and how to get your company ready for your next-to-be employee.
Observe and Assess
The easiest way you can do to see if an employee is heading for that resignation letter is to observe its mannerism and gestures of its last few weeks in the company.
Some employees will do their best and finish all assigned tasks on time, ensuring that everything goes well before they left. Others, however, will act grouchy and always not in the mood. It’s like all their energy has been taken away by that resignation letter and all it needs is a pen for them to sign it on.
For you, as an employer/leader, you can gauge his/her reaction so that you can announce their departure properly. Better yet, you can host a mini party before they leave so that they’ll feel better in their last days in your company.
Create a Transition Plan
Before they leave, have a talk with him/her and develop a transition plan together. Gather all her documents that she’s working on, the clients she is in contact with, and projects that are left in the table. Take your time to make a list out of this as comprehensive as you can so you can directly give his/her responsibilities to your soon-to-be employee.
Ensure that the transition plan should be concise and easy to understand for your next employee. It’s highly recommended to create the list a week before he/she leaves to make sure that everything is ready and set.
Gather Some Knowledge
Before your employee dashes thru the front door in just a blink of an eye, make sure that he/she is not carrying information that you didn’t know. I didn’t mean to search her bag like they’re a thief or something.
Some employees have gained new skills and knowledge while they are in the company. And if they leave without sharing this knowledge to you or to their fellow workers, then prepare for trouble. For example, if that specific employee knows how to program a code and some others don’t, including you, then there’s definitely a ruckus going to happen. So make sure that your employee will share its knowledge to the company before they pack their things and leave.
The Time for Replacement
Now that everything is ready and set from the transition plan down to the knowledge your former employee has, it’s time to evaluate your company if it’s time to hire another worker.
Before you do, have short and brief meeting with your employees so that all of you can decide if it’s time to hire a replacement. If some of your current workers has the skills to do his/her task, then there’s no need to hire a new one. But if hiring a new one is your cup of tea, then process all the required paperwork and notify your HR as soon as possible.
Wish Them the Best
Even though he/she is leaving your company, always wish him/her the best despite the situation. Continue treating him/her as a family and ensure that both of you are in good terms so there are no hard feelings when they leave.
Losing an employee is inevitable but you have to deal with it maturely and be ready to face the challenges that will come your way. As mentioned earlier, a mini party will suffice to help ease the pain.