When an employee announces that they want to resign from their position, it can be inconvenient and disruptive for the business.

Suddenly, the business is faced with a number of things that must be considered – how will the former employee’s responsibilities be covered? How will the team be affected? How should the business go about hiring and training a new employee? While it can be inconvenient dealing with these changes, there are ways to learn from the situation and encourage a smooth transition.

Identify why the employee is leaving

Employees often resign for personal reasons such as moving away, changing careers, or new commitments, however, there are cases where the employee may have an issue with the company itself. Perhaps they are dissatisfied with internal career advancement opportunities, are unhappy with the workplace environment or other staff members, or feel overworked and underappreciated. Understanding the internal problems the employee may not have wanted to admit prior to their resignation can be an opportunity to make improvements that will benefit the future of the workplace environment.

Conduct an exit interview

It can be beneficial for both the employer and employee to conduct an exit interview, where these reasons for resignation can be discussed and the employer can assess whether any changes should be made within the company based on this feedback. This could also be an opportunity to ensure all relevant matters between the employee and the company are settled before they leave.

Make a hiring plan

Hiring a new employee can be time consuming and stressful, so it can be useful to plan guidelines, recruitment tools, goals, and time frames to keep things on track. This can also help you better prepare for the interview process as you know going in what you are looking for in a new employee.

Reassure the rest of the team

Having one less employee can make the other staff feel overburdened with the extra workload. Talking to the employees and acknowledging this problem can help maintain morale and reassure them that this is temporary and they are being appreciated.