In an age where job turnover is higher than ever, it’s important for organizations to be smart about how they handle the pending or sudden departure of an employee. In part 1 of our 2-part series, we addressed how to move on after a valued employee departs the organization. In part 2, we look at a different challenging aspect of employee turnover: termination.
Here are three tips to help ease what can be a difficult situation after having to terminate a well-liked employee.
- Stay in close communication with remaining employees. When a popular officemate is dismissed, it can start the rumor mill churning. Though the company may not be at liberty to share the details behind the separation, it will be important to offer an open door to those looking for answers or simply looking to talk. Be sympathetic to their situation and provide them that judgment-free opportunity to share their thoughts. One of the least desirable outcomes is for quality employees to fear for their own job security.
- Have a plan for getting things done. Office work still needs to be done efficiently and competently despite the loss of an employee, even a popular one. Make sure there is a plan in place that will help share the responsibilities of the departed employee until a replacement can be found; no one person should ever be leaned upon too heavily to perform extra duties in the absence of the dismissed employee.
- Be mindful of post-dismissal productivity. It would not be out of place for some remaining employees to fall below expectation with respect to their work product. They may feel overwhelmed, they may have lost a mentor, or they simply may miss their former co-worker. All of these things could be impacting their productivity. If a prolonged decrease in the quality or efficiency of work by a remaining staff member is noticeable, reach out to them and look for ways to provide them with the support needed to get them back on a productive track.