Don’t Panic When a Team Member Quits: 7 Steps Every Manager Must Take

Many managers panic when a team member resigns.

It is a natural reaction but could lead to a troubled situation if the resignation discussion does not go well.

Hence it is important to ensure the situation is handled in a way that there is a win-win.

In this blog, I will provide 7 steps managers can take to avoid problems with a team member resigning.

Preparation

Can Managers prepare for a situation when the resignation of a team member is unexpected?

Partially Yes.

Managers can observe every team member for any such signs. Some of the signs are as follows.

1. Decreased Engagement: Less enthusiasm or reduced participation.
2. Frequent Absences: More sick days, and extended breaks than usual.
3. Low on energy: appears distracted.

If there were no signs, but it did happen, then don’t panic.

Take a moment before speaking anything. This will help to ease the situation.

7 Steps

When a team member quits, you can take the following steps to create a win-win situation.

▸ Step#1: Understand the reason for resignation
Before making any reaction or decision, it is important to understand the reason behind the resignation.

Create a safe and open environment for the team members to feel comfortable discussing the resignation.

Then, allow the team member to explain the why, behind the resignation.

It could be because of career growth, work environment, perks, salary and personal circumstances.

In this first meeting, you should understand the mindset and any issues that can be improved.

It is important to note that the rest of the steps can be performed after the first meeting. Keep the first meeting only to understand the core issues.

▸ Step#2: Ask open-ended questions
The team member may provide a few reasons, so asking open-ended questions will help you dig deeper.

Some of the questions that can ask a team member are as follows:

1. What factors led you to feel this was the right decision?
2. Is there anything that could be done differently in the past to avoid the situation?
3. Are there any specific challenges within the team that influenced your decision?

The goal should be to understand the underlying issue that could be addressed.

▸ Step#3: Decision for a counteroffer
Based on what you find from step#2, decide whether to counteroffer.

This decision will depend on the issue at hand and other parameters, like
a. performance of the team member,
b. feasibility of the requests from the team member,
c. will the team member stay after making the changes,
and so on.

This is a difficult decision. If you are stuck involving HR or senior management will help faster decision.

Try to avoid a salary increase as a counteroffer. This could trigger conflict among the team member as it will be seen as unfair.

▸ Step#4: Next Steps
If there is a counteroffer, and a team member agrees to take back the resignation, it is important to discuss and align on the next steps to bring the changes.

It is important to, discuss items like timelines, handovers, assignment changes etc.

If no counteroffer is made, discuss the transition or handover plan to ensure the outgoing team member shares their knowledge with a colleague.

This will ensure business continuity.

Step#5: Setting expectations
If the team member has decided to take back the resignation, then clarify the changes based on the counteroffer and the timeline.

Ensure the decisions are documented and an email is sent to avoid ambiguity.

If there was no counteroffer or the team member decided to anyway leave, then setting guidelines during the notice period will be important.

Encourage professionalism and cooperation from the team while handing over the duties.

At this stage, if the team member has decided to leave, then it is a good practice to inform the rest of the team to avoid any rumours.

▸ Step#6: Handover to HR
If the team member decides to stay back, it is a good practice to inform HR that such a situation occurred and a counteroffer was provided for retaining.

If the team member has decided to leave, for a formal exit plan, the HR team should get involved.

Provide your findings, documentation, and any guidance for the notice period to enable the HR team to proceed.

▸ Step#7: Follow-ups
Throughout the employee’s notice period keep regular check-ins to ensure the transition plan is progressing, smoothly.

Any issues identified should be addressed promptly.

Have similar check-ins with the other team members receiving the handover to get feedback on progress.

This will help prevent any gaps or confusion during the transition.

Final Thoughts

Handling team member resignations can be challenging.

By following the 7-step approach, managers can create a supportive and professional process.

This will show that you and the organization care about the team members who are leaving the company and there are no heart feelings.

In turn, it will ensure smooth transitions and it helps in maintaining a positive environment.

Happy Management!

Further Reading

• How to Support Nonperformers Towards a Graceful Exit
• What should I upskill as a Manager?
• Innovate and Appreciate your team members
• Simplified Emotional Leadership for Young Managers
• Free Udemy Course: New Manager - Learn to Become Successful

PS: If you are interested in such management concepts, frameworks and techniques, subscribe to my newsletter The Emerging Leadership.