Resigned to the Resignation?

Your valued staff member tells you they’re leaving. You’re horrified. It’s like a break up and you didn’t see it coming.

It’s not you, it’s them. It’s family. It’s money. It’s to leave and save the world. It’s to follow a new career path. It’s conflicts with workmates. It’s to go back and study. It’s because they’re not being challenged. It’s because the role isn’t what they thought it would be.

The reasons they may give you for their (in your opinion untimely departure) are endless. Confusingly – the real reason may be something different all together!

The simplest solution is when the answer they tell you is money based, and you’re able to match the competing offer. So you’d think. But happy staff members don’t just uproot their entire career based lives for a little more money. There’s usually another reason more deeply imbedded.

What I find interesting is what many employers trying to stop the situation from happening default to assuming it’s a monetary motivation. When all else fails – throw some more cash at the person.

Which is great… unless you get a person whose primary motivation isn’t money. Then not only do you lose a staff member, but you’re confused as to why your strategy didn’t work, and they leave confirmed in their decision that you didn’t understand who they were as a person.

So what are some other answers?

Well – you could try and find out what motivates your team already? There will be some that are really dollar driven and monetary incentives and bonuses will work a treat to keep them happy now. There will be others that will adore your new initiative to let them take a day off each year to work in a charity or to have time off to donate blood. There’s those who you will keep forever with a kind word. Who are your team? What can you do proactively to make their journey with your company the best it can be?

By Anonymous with 3 comments