Losing a key employee is hard, but it’s part of being a business owner.
So what do you do when it happens?
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
➣ Stay calm and keep a positive attitude.
Remember, you hired and trained this person, and you can do it again with someone new.
➣ List responsibilities.
Before the employee leaves, have them list all of their responsibilities and review them together to make sure you haven’t missed anything. There may be tasks they’ve taken on that you may not even be aware of.
➣ Re-examine the role.
Do all of the duties listed make sense for the role? Especially in a small business, people often take on responsibilities that may not be a fit for their area or skill set. They see that something needs to be done and they take it on.
What tasks should be reassigned to another position?
Also consider what the KPIs are for the role so that you’re crystal clear on what success in the position looks like.
➣ Consider who would be a good fit.
Now that you’ve taken a good look at the role you can better decide what skills are required and who would be a good fit, whether it is someone within your organization or a new hire.
➣ Housekeeping.
Get all logins, passwords, files, etc. before they leave and remove access from their personal devices when they go. Be very methodical to make sure that there are no loose ends.
➣ Thank them and wish them well.
This is where you can show your emotional intelligence as a leader. Acknowledge all of their contributions to the business. Make sure they leave on a positive note so they refer others to your business.
In the moment, it’s very hard to lose an important team member. But when you follow the above steps, you’re well on your way to hiring your next great employee.
Author: Sandy Merritt, Business Coach in Louisville, KY