This article isn’t about what we have been hearing a lot about lately, instead it is about what we haven’t heard a lot about lately: employee resignations.  As the economic landscape starts to shift away from layoffs and cutbacks, employees may see opportunities that haven’t existed for some time, so today we want to talk about when an employee chooses to leave an organization.

Often, leaders are aware of the reasons why one of their employees would choose to leave, and other times it is unforeseen.  In either situation, the departure can leave a gap that can impact deadlines or work outcomes.  As well, sometimes there is a lot of knowledge that is walking out the door that organizations have not done an adequate job of capturing.  To try to mitigate this, organizations conduct formal exit interviews with departing employees, and the leader may have a conversation with their employee about the priorities of their work that will need attention prior to leaving.

We want to introduce another powerful opportunity for leaders to conduct an “exit interview” of their own that will allow them to dig beneath the surface to learn more about the experiences and perceptions of the employee who is departing.  More specifically, this information can highly impact how a leader may choose to address concerns or situations that they may see as problematic, as well as their approach when recruiting for a new employee.  Invariably, someone with slightly different skills, knowledge, personal attributes, and career plan may be better suited for the role.

Additionally, for the departing employee this conversation can be a useful exercise as they will come away with more awareness about their own needs and learn some tips how to establish effective interactions in their new workplace.

Let’s dive into the details.  In the work that we do with organizations to improve employee performance we talk about the Five Conditions to Great Performance, the degree to which the employee Knows What to, Are Able to do it, Are Equipped to do it, Want to do it, and Have Positive Interactions that foster healthy working relationships.  We encourage and help leaders to engage in dialogue utilizing the Five Conditions foundation to achieve better performance results and higher engagement.

The following is a brief commentary and some questions that leaders can explore with the departing employee in order to better understand some of those dynamics in the work environment that impacted their reason for leaving.

KNOW WHAT TO DO:  Did the employee really know what was expected of them?

From the employee perspective:
– Was I clear about the specific performance results I was accountable to achieve?
– Do I understand how my performance was being measured?
– Did I have clear direction and priorities for doing my work
– Was I clear about how I was to conduct myself; the behaviors expected of me in how I work with others?

From the leader perspective:
Is there anything different that could have been discussed with the employee that may have improved the communication about my expectations and their performance results?

ABLE TO DO IT  Was the employee able to perform the duties of the job?

From the employee perspective:
– Was my work well suited to my interests and capabilities both intellectually and physically?
– Did I have both the technical and interpersonal knowledge and skills needed for my recent job?
– Was I encouraged to develop my capabilities further? Were there opportunities to learn and grow?
– Was I supported to take care of my physical, mental and emotional well-being so I could stay healthy and productive?

From the leader perspective: 
Did I have regular conversations and detailed performance reviews with the employee about their overall performance?  If there were gaps in skills and knowledge what actions were taken and documented to provide training or support for learning?

EQUIPPED TO DO IT:  Did the employee have the tools and information to do their job well?

From the employee perspective:
– Did I have the information I needed to do my job effectively?
– Were there effective and efficient processes for my work?  Were there clear procedures for me to follow?
– Were there effective systems to support my work (production control, quality assurance, information technology, performance management, etc.)?
– Did I have the tools, equipment, job aids, work space and other resources I needed to succeed?

From the leader perspective:
Does the current work environment set my employees up for success?  Do they have the right information and tools to work at their optimal levels?  What steps have I taken to provide this clarity, information and tools?

WANT TO DO IT:  Did the employee really want to do this job?  Was this job their calling?

From the employee perspective:
– Did I feel challenged with meaningful tasks? Did I get to do what I do best?
– Did I get both specific positive and corrective feedback about my performance?
– Was my supervisor responsive to my needs and concerns; did, he/she involve me in identifying and resolving problems?
– Did I have the authority to make decisions needed to do my job effectively?

From the leader perspective:
Did I have regular conversations with the employee about their current role, their needs from their job/leader, and their desired career plan?  What actions did we take together to work toward that state?  Were there any changes in role responsibilities that did/did not impact the employees’ satisfaction and achieving their goals?  If so, what responsibility did I take to try to bridge that gap?

INTERACTIONS:  How people in my recent workplace typically conducted themselves.

From the employee perspective:
– Do they treat each other with respect?
– Are they honest and trustworthy? Are their actions consistent with their words?
– Do they deal with conflicts directly and sensitively to resolve problems?
– Do they really hear and understand what others have to say?
– Do they appreciate others who work and communicate in different ways?
– Do they work well with co-workers, management and other departments?
– Are they open to others’ ideas, comments and suggestions?
– Are they involved in the improvement of their own work activities and results?
– Do they take accountability for their own actions, conduct and results?
– Can they rely on the promises their coworkers make to them?

From the leader perspective:
What interactions do I wish to see within our team and teams from other departments that isn’t happening currently?  What different conversations or actions can be taken to be more responsive and/or improve the workplace interactions?

By applying some investigative rigor before the employee departs can help to identify where some of the Five Conditions worked well for the employee, and areas where there were breakdowns and gaps.  The feedback obtained in this conversation will be the perspective of the departing employee and may not be the perspective of other employees, however, this information provides useful information and awareness where some of the breakdowns and gaps could exist for a new employee.

Finally, in the employee’s last week of employment or on their last day, if welcomed by the employee, recognize their employment, have a team gathering, and thank them for their service.  If the employee asks you, their leader, if you would be a future reference, be honest about what part of their work and performance that you can/cannot be a good reference for.

I like to support our readers!  We will be happy to share a Checklist that provides more detailed questions that can help to stimulate that important performance conversation.  Just send an email with your request to:  shannon@creativeimpactconsulting.ca