I Quit

More employees are quitting without giving notice, which leaves a business stuck with having to fill in the gaps quickly. Sometimes people feel like they've been mistreated, or a variety of other reasons.

If employees have observed other former team members professionally resign but then were quickly booted out the door, it might cause current staff not to give two weeks' notice when they decide to leave. Current laws state that an employer can separate employment without any warning. It is important to remember that employees can do that too.

When dealing with employees who quit abruptly, here are some things to consider in picking up the pieces:

Keep It Professional

When an employee resigns, it can affect the psyche and managers may suddenly feel abandoned and alone. It may help to remember that an employee leaving without notice will most likely impact them more negatively in the future than it will you, so it's best to thank them for their service and move on (and leave your emotions out of it).

It's good to know the HR protocol for handling a quick resignation; sometimes a two-week notice is built into a person's contract, or maybe your company shreds an employee's ID and escorts them out the door immediately. Whatever it is, it's good to contact HR as soon as the employee gives notice.

Identify Immediate Needs

When the employee gives their resignation, try to find out as much as you can about what is outstanding on their end. Make sure you have all of the access to the person's files, contacts, and whatever you need while the employee is still there.

Assess Client Care

Whenever an employee leaves, they always take a certain amount of knowledge with them. This is another reason to keep it as professional as possible and on good terms with the departing employee. If you can, work with the employee on how this message is going to be communicated to the clients; mainly whose responsibility it is to set an automatic email message and voicemail on who clients can count on as a replacement.

Fill In the Gaps

Now that you're short-staffed, you might have to dole out additional responsibilities to the rest of the team and absorb some of the workload while looking for a replacement. Talk to your department and try to determine if anyone is interested in learning what that former employee did or can take on a bit more work.

Try to get HR involved as soon as possible in getting the job posted, so the existing staff and their added workload is just temporary.

Don't Take It Personally

An employee can leave for a variety of reasons and it's likely there's nothing you can do to stop them. But if you can, try to counter offer or act excited about their future plans. It's also a good idea to talk with the rest of your team to find out what motivates them, how they feel about the company, and what their professional needs are.

Unexpected employee resignations can be stressful, but a staffing agency can help you get through the transition.

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