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SMOOTHER Separations Make sure the way your company treats departing employees is good for business and remaining workers. here are lots of reasons why employees decide to leave actively searching for a new job, while 35 percent considered a job. But once they do, how an organization treats themselves passive job seekers them on their way out the door can have a lasting im pact--on them, and their former employer Culture Colors Policy "The way an organisation treats exiting staff members is Separation policies often reflect an organization's culture. very telling. Gaul Gunderson, associate director of Organi Some organizations have rigid and formal voluntary separa- zation and Human Resource Consulting (OHRC) at Ohio State tion policies while others do not as Bill Elkins, SPHR, man- University in Columbus Suishould be treated as well when ager of labor and employee relations with the Lawrence they depart as they were when they were hired, she advises Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif. "Our policies Wendy Bliss, SPHR, founder of Bliss & Associates Consult- reflect the collegial nature of our work, culture and environ ing in Colorado Springs, Colo, and co-author of the Employment. For example, exit interviews are part of the separation ment Termination Sture Book (Society for Human Resource process but employee participation is voluntary. When he Management, 2006), says the best approach for employers is worked for The Boeing Co., Elkins notes, the separation policy to adopt policies and practices that smooth the resignation was more regimented and formal, and there was less discre process and help maintain a positive relationship with valued tion in making exceptions or deviations employees who have chosen to leave Separation policies also should take into account the According to the Society for Human Resource Manage staffing realities of a particular industry stys Bliss "Look at ments (SHRM 2006 Job Retention fill, nearly three-quarters turnover patterns in the industry and the competitiveness of HR professionals responding to the survey reported they for a particulair job. What is the cost of this turnover to your or were concerned about the number of voluntary resignationsganization, and what can you do through your retention and occurring in their organisation. exit policies that may be effective in addressing this issue? The Wall Street Journals Career Journal.com 2006 poll of Bliss says organizations with mostly unskilled or low 500 employees shows that companies have reason to be con- skilled workers may expect only a one-week notice and may cerned. About 40 percent of respondents admitted they were not work hard to persuade a worker to stay, while a company NO staffed with highly skilled or technical professionals might reing and blames employers themselves for prompting this quire three weeks notice and may have strategies to keep em counsel. Curlini recalls that a decade or so aga, some compa- ployees on board. nies would bring employees into a conference room to tell them they had been downed and then wouldn't even let Negotiating Longer Notice them go back to their desks to get their personal belongings Sometimes an organization may ask the employee to stay for The items were FedEx-ed to their home addresses," Carlini ex- longer than two or three weeks to complete a special project or plains, adding that abrupt departures may be the outcome of to give the company time to find a replacement companies resping what they sowed." Such a situation might occur with a top performer, says Cartini suggests that if an employer expects employees to give Christine Vion-Gillespie, SPHR, a member of the SHRM Em- at least two weeks' notice, the company should sign a formal ployee Relations Special Expertise Panel and employee relations agreement with employees that promises they will receive the and compliance manager at a high-tech software company. Her sume amount of notice if the organization plans to let them go. company has been known to offer a stay bonus" in such cases to But not everyone agrees. Bliss says having such an agree- encourage an employee to stay for one or two months ment would nullify any at-will employment arrangement. She There are times, however, says Shari Mickey Boggs. OHRC says employers can ask for a reasonable notice period from director at Ohio State University, when employees can give to their employees, but can't require it much notice. Though the university generally appreciates Elkins, who chairs the crisis action team that addresses knowing in advance if an employee is planning to leave, she threats of workplace violence at Berkeley Laboratory, says it is says, sometimes a longer notice period is not advantageous due rare for an employee to be ashered out as soon as he or she ten- to the nature of the position or the needs of the business unit. ders a resignation. "Every once in a great while, if we believe such as when the position involves tasks of a highly confidential or sensitive nature. In those situations, the school may negotiate a Employers can ask for a shorter notice for the employee. reasonable notice period from their Avoiding Gruff Goodbyes employees, but can't require it. Although employers sometimes require an employee to leave immediately after giving notice, doing so there is an issue of potential sabotage or other problems, we should be carefully weighed to avoid unintended conse will arrange for an employee to leave immediately," he says quences. Vion-Gillespie says she has heard horror stories about HR Take the case of Michael, dean of instruction at a private finding out long after an employee has left that he or she did boarding school in southern Virginia who received a job offer he something harmful to the business. If you suspect that an em- couldn't refuse from another school. He wanted to give his cur ployee who has resigned may pose a risk to your business, she rent headmaster as much notice as possible so the school could recommends showing the person the door bot paying the em- find a replacement. Even though he was planning to stay until ployee for the notice period. Otherwise, she was the em the end of the school year, Michael, who asked that his last ployee may try to get unemployment compensation rame not be used in this article, announced three months ahead of time that he was resigning. His boss had other ideas, Persuading Good Employees To Stay however, and told Michael that he and his family would have to Sometimes, it may behoove a company to try and keep an em- leave immediately and move out of their house on campusIt ployee from leaving But you can't convince employees to stay took a lawyer to persuade the headmaster to allow them to stay if you don't know why they are quitting. Supervisors should for the remaining three months, amid a lot of hard feelings start probing as soon as they think something is wrong. Find- It is experiences like this that rile James Carlini, head of ing ways to keep an employee can make good business sense Carlini & Associates, an information and telecommunication For comple, Mark Dobog, deputy associate director for technologies company in East Dundee, II. Carlini, author of talent and capacity policy with the US, Office of Personnel "Ready to leave? Why you shouldn't give two weeks' notice." Management (OPM) in Washington, D.C.says an employer for the Wisconsin Technology Network, writes that giving a might spend a lot of money recruiting and hiring young engi- two-week notice went out with nickel beers. (For a link to neers, but after a while those employees may decide they aren't Carlini's article, see the online version of this article at being challenged enough. "That's something you can deal with www.shrm.org/hrmagazine/07June.) because you made an investment there and you want to make He advises employees to give notice the day they are leav- sure they feel fulfilled," he points out. What's in Your Policy? Astandardi pollo con el fondo one con When asked if other employees resent it Ped. The standa when accommodations are made for resigning employees, Doboja savs often it's just the oppo immobilisting the site. The employees you want to keep are cooperation All Rentono ally good at teamwork and setting things done, medicine in the so a lot of times you have help from other em ployees when it comes to keeping good people mo from lewing Communicating with the employee can help you ascertain if there are problems in the work Achelors to the both place that need attention. An employee could be their bodiment leaving because of a condition that is already be Soccer who ing addressed by management, Bliss. If the company could tell the employee that the situation will soon be changing for the better. Bolt There may the Exit interviews are the final step and should so be conducted by other than the n't be viewed as a time to the employees should become confia problems and offer alternatives. They can, how Per for the player to promote ever, provide information that the employee did not share with their supervisor, says Bliss On a legal note, Vion-Gillespie war em ployers to constantly review their separation practices to be pecially if the person who resigned was a star employees. Vion certain there is no disparute impact or treatment among em Gillespie suggests that if the departing employee is really ployees. Be sure, for instance, that you are not accepting eng someone you would want to retain keep them on. You may be nations from black while encouraging whites to remain with over band count a little, but you can handle that with attrition the company she says Taking Them Back Staying in Touch Employers should make sure they leave the door open in case Marking an employers farewell with some type of recognition an employee who resigned wants to retum, says OPM Dobo is a good way to provide cosure for everyone, Bliss D. "If they have had a positive experience, they may come puts a positive impression in the departing employees mind, buck. Also, they will talk about the work they did, and you and it helps people say goodbye to co-workers they have want that word-of-mouth out there to attract other people joyed working with Ohio State University sparition policy allow employees Employers also may want to keep in touch with employees to rescind their resignation, though there is no guarantee it who have left the company. Develop an alumni program, Vion- will be accepted. "It depends on the talent of the particular in Gillespie met. Such a programs can pay adin several ways dividual and whether the unit has taken afirmative steps to re First, the grass may not always be greener at their new job and place the departing employee," says Stephanie Berland, they may want to return. Also, if they left because they wanted employee and labor relations consultant at OHRC. to stay home with their children for a while, or they thought Berkeley Laboratory early retirement was for them, the door will be open for them Online Resources normally honors an em to return See the one wersion of this article ployees change of heart Vion-Gillespie wts asking for departing employees for if he or she is leaving on personal e-mail addresses so you can let them know what is good terms going on in the workplace, invite them back for company ASHAM SHR If you have already functions or find other ways to maintain alliances. "Keep per about interviews hired someone to re them connected so when the time comes and they want to The generation Source place a departing em et back into the workforce, you are the first company that Book (SHRM, 2006) ployee, it may not be comes to mind." Jis til dig the feasible to allow them Idea of wer SHRM 2006 to stay. But there may Na Hu Woo SARILANGWE NC- be way around that, TASOOGA, T. AND A FREQUENT CONTRATO HR MAGAZINE