Transitions, reorganizations, layoffs, mergers, acquisitions—they are all part of the business landscape. And while effective leaders will work to limit the number and frequency of these events, they are inevitable as organizations work to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world. Effective employee retention strategies are critical to help your team come through the other side with confidence and enthusiasm for their work.

I Didn’t See This Coming

We were working with Melissa (not her real name), the Vice President of a rapidly growing national firm who called for help because three people had resigned in the past two weeks. And if you’d asked her two weeks before that, she wouldn’t have told you that any of them were flight risks.

As she explained the situation, Melissa’s department was in the middle of a major reorganization resulting from changes in the industry. The reorganization would shift an entire team’s work to an external partner (and several team members were moving over to the partner company.) Some roles would merge, and a few people would be reassigned or given exit packages.

Melissa told us, “I thought we were doing good with our communication, and that everyone understood what was happening. We’ve all been working so hard at our normal jobs plus preparing for the transition. Then these three resignations happened—and we can’t afford to lose anyone else. And they all have important work to do after the transition. I didn’t see this coming.”

Employee Retention Strategies During Reorganizations, Layoffs, and Corporate Chaos

Melissa and her team started the change process well. They had a clear communication plan. The company had retention bonuses in place to help affected team members stay through the finish line, and they clearly defined the process, roles, and timelines. They’d also involved the team in early decision-making.

These are all good practices and we recommend them as you navigate chaotic changes.

And—there are some additional employee retention strategies you can use to help your team move through these changes with confidence.

Invest in Clarity with Cascading Checks for Understanding

The antidote to uncertainty is clarity.

And as much communication as Melissa had done with her team, there was still more to do. We asked Melissa a question that you can ask yourself: “If we were to go ask your department about the plan, the timelines, and their role in the changes, would they give us the same answer you would?”

Melissa said, “I’m pretty confident, yes.”

“Would you bet 1000 dollars on each person affected giving the same answer?”

She thought for a moment and said, “Yes, for my directors. I wouldn’t take that bet for their team members.”

This is a great gut-check to see if your communication is as effective as you hope it would be.

Here, Melissa realized there was an opportunity to work with her directors on more clear and consistent communication. Then, both she and her directors could follow up by talking with frontline team members to check for understanding. To hear the team member describe what was happening in their own words.

Communication doesn’t mean you said it (or sent it). Clear communication means everyone has received and internalized critical messages.

Re-Recruit Your A-Players

There’s no question that even with clear communication, hectic reorganization, downsizing, and other corporate chaos makes everyone nervous, particularly when cuts include strong contributors who happen to be in the wrong seat at the wrong time.

Re-recruit your top talent by connecting and communicating how much you value them. Help them see their future opportunities and how you’ll support their growth and development.

Get Their Hands In the Future

One of the most powerful employee recruitment strategies when you face chaotic and messy change is to get people working on what’s next.

When you have team members who will stay on with the team after the change, get them working on that future. If their hands are deep into a project that builds the future, they can feel that future is real—and includes them. And that helps quell the uncertainty.

As we explored this strategy with Melissa, she recognized the opportunity: “I have many people who could absolutely be working on projects and plans that happen after the transition. We’ve been so focused on what’s happening now that I think I’ve made my team nearsighted.”

Maintain Relationships and Lines of Communication

In times of stressful change, it’s easy to lose track of your normal lines of communication.

In Melissa’s case, she noted that “Everyone’s been so busy. I thought we’d been transparent and clear, but we’re working so hard on our primary work, then to make the transition happen, that our one-on-ones and ongoing communication have taken a back seat.”

When one-on-ones feel the most difficult to maintain, that’s often when you need them the most. Those regular, individual check ins give you a chance to use all these employee retention strategies in a connected, relevant way.

Your Turn

You have to expect some degree of corporate chaos as your company navigates a rapidly changing world. All the planning and thoughtful strategizing you or your leaders do can’t eliminate uncertainty.

Help your team move through the change with confidence by investing in consistent communication to ensure clarity, thorough checks for understanding at every level, by getting everyone working on a horizon beyond the changes, and ensure you and your team maintain one-on-ones to stay connected.

We’d love to hear from you: what are some of your most effective employee retention strategies during times of significant chaos and change?

You might also like:

After the layoff: How to support your team when it just got smaller

The post Employee Retention Strategies When Work Gets Chaotic and Messy appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

You have a highly valued employee who you sense is looking for a new opportunity. You’d hate to lose them, but you know people are leaving jobs during this “Great Resignation.”  How do you get them to consider the “Great Return” or even better, not leaving in the first place?

Today on Asking for a Friend, I speak with employee retention expert, Beverly Kaye, author of Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em, Getting Good People to Stay.

Some of Bev’s Best Bets for Retaining Employees

1:07 What do you do if you have a good employee who you feel has one foot out the door?

1:21 Allow for an elegant exit because there is potential for a return. People are “boomeranging” back to jobs they left.

2:37 If they are intent on leaving, talk to them about their job equity: social, influence, skill, and finances to make sure they understand what they are leaving.

4:52 How do you handle the concern that people are leaving because they are less connected when working remotely?

Free Resource for Employee Retention

Bev has written a free resource Staying Connected While Working Apart. Click here for your copy.

Your turn: What ideas do you have for retaining a valued employee?

Check out David’s interview with Bev Kaye on Leadership without Losing Your Soul podcast

The post Employee Retention: Retain an Employee Who Has One Foot Out the Door (Video) appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

When a high-performer quits, it can feel like your world is imploding as you scramble to keep the work going AND find the right unicorn to fill that spot.

Of course, there’s never a good time for a high-performer to quit. But, what you do next matters. For you. For them. And for everyone paying attention to your response (see also: How to Build a Great Culture in a High-Turnover World.)

For this conversation, we’re going to assume you’ve worked to re-recruit your high-performing quitter by understanding what’s really happening and doing what you can to respond.

If their mind is made up, here are some thoughts on what to do next and a video of why it matters.

Start Here When Your High-Performer Quits

Sadly, we’ve been fielding a lot of calls and #askingforafriend questions from high-performers who’ve quit and dealt with a terrible response from their manager.

• “I gave my notice and now everyone around here is just so mad at me. It’s like the last ten years didn’t count for anything. It’s going to be a torturous two weeks.”
• “I feel like I’ve wasted my time here. Now I see they didn’t really care about me at all.”
• “I’ve sacrificed so much for this company, I would hope at this point, they would want what’s best for me.”

Those sentiments are contagious. “Gosh, if they treated her that way, they probably don’t care about me either.”

And, your sad high-performing quitter is likely venting to more than their co-workers. They’re sharing on social media, talking about their frustrations to cousin Joe at Thanksgiving, and to anyone who will listen over a pumpkin latte and snickerdoodle.

So here are a few tips to keep in mind when a high-performer quits.

1. Get a grip on your emotions.

Of course, you have a right to your own feelings, and it’s natural to be upset.

And, what you blurt out in anger or distress will be hard to take back once you’ve calmed down.

Keep in mind that unless you’ve been acting like a real jerk with toxic, courage-crushing behaviors,  it’s unlikely that your high-performer quit to tick you off or sabotage your results.

It’s helpful to remember how much you care about them as a person and that you want them to be successful in life, not just on your team.

2. Thank them for their contributions.

One of the biggest complaints we hear from high-performers is that they wish their boss would simply say “thank you” more (see also 7 things your high-performers want to hear you say). You want to leave your high-performer with a good feeling about working with you and your organization. Showing them you understand how they contributed and made a difference can go a long way in this.

There may be an opportunity to work with them again someday. When you do this publically, you also send a clear message to everyone else, that your gratitude is real and lasting. No one wants to work for a fair-weathered thanker.

3. Ask for their ideas.

Of course, it’s important to show up curious about why they chose to move on. Even if HR does a formal exit interview, you can also have a personal conversation as well. This is a great time to ask for feedback about your leadership and their experiences working at your company.

It’s also a good time to ask about their ideas for improvement. Once someone is leaving their FOSU (fear of speaking up) is dramatically reduced, and they may have the courage to share ideas they may have withheld in the past.

4. Encourage them to stay connected.

High-performers often know other high-performers. If you’re not connected on LinkedIn, now’s a great time. You never know when that former high-performer is exactly who you need to talk to, or to network with for an open position.

5. Give them a chance to say goodbye.

We’ve heard too many people venting recently that “after all these years they could have a least bought me a cake.” Or, “my last day was so sad, I just packed up my stuff and left. No one even really said goodbye.”

It could be that some managers are backing away from this common courtesy of creating a GOOD bye because they are afraid it will encourage others to leave. We can assure you, no one leaves a company because they want a party. There are easier reasons to celebrate.

How you treat employees at every point of their employment cycle matters. If you want a great culture, ensure people feel valued from onboarding through their last day on payroll.

Your turn.

What are your best practices for responding when a high-performer quits?

The post What to Do When a High-Performer Quits (With Video) appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.