When you manage a team, employees are bound to come and go. According to a recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median time employees stay at a given company is 4.1 years. And, for younger workers (ages 25 – 34) change is even more frequent, with an average tenure of 2.8 years. In addition, many employees change teams within the same organization through promotions or internal mobility.
Losing a team member is never easy, whether it’s a top performer, someone you work well with, or a team member you that had real potential to grow within the organization. However, it’s important to manage this process carefully to maintain positive relationships going forward, protect your company image, and send the right message to the rest of your team.
After speaking with several of his previous team members who raved about his management methods, we sat down with Diego Villa, a beloved and experienced Sales Manager at monday.com, to understand how he navigates saying goodbye to top talent on his team. Keep reading to learn his four tips.
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4 ways to manage losing a star employee
1. Set expectations from the beginning
Encourage your employees to set high goals for themselves from the start and help them build a path to getting there. At the onset of your working relationship together, make it clear that you support their career growth so that they’re not afraid to be open and honest with you about what they really want. With their goals in mind, you can effectively advocate for them and identify opportunities for them to grow and develop.
Perhaps most importantly, by having that open communication with your team members, you ensure that when the time comes that they are ready for a new challenge, you won’t be taken by surprise. You’ll already know their aspirations and desired skills as well as what they’ve managed to accomplish on your team, so you can effectively foresee the change and be prepared.
2. Create a sense of community
Build a collaborative community within your team and encourage everyone to share their knowledge and best practices with one another. When one of your employees has mastered something, make it known to the rest of the team so that others can learn from their expertise and benefit from their insights. Ask team members to explain their processes and workflows when you think others have something to gain and encourage people to ask questions to increase their understanding. This way, even when a star team member leaves the team, their knowledge and know-how remain.
3. Emphasize internal growth opportunities
While saying goodbye to a star employee is never easy, it’s always better when you know their expertise and value are staying within the company. Sometimes a team member may be reaching their ceiling within your team, but they still have plenty of room to grow and contribute to other areas of the business. That’s why you should always help your employees understand the opportunities that exist in other parts of the organization in order to increase the likelihood of them sticking around. That way, while the team member may no longer sit on your team, the business can continue to benefit from their talent and skill set.
Additionally, in order to effectively keep star employees at the company, it’s wise to be proactive. That means when an employee mentions that they are interested in making a move, create a game plan. Make introductions, speak with relevant managers, and let HR know that there’s interest. Show your employees that you’re willing to go to bat for them in order to support their growth and development within the company.
4. Don’t take it personally
All too often, people consider their colleagues as family members, when in reality, that’s not the case. While your family is yours until the end of time, there is nearly a 0% chance that the team members you start your career with will be the ones you finish it with — and, it’s empowering to recognize that. No one is going to stick around forever, including you. So, rather than trying to prevent your employees from leaving, focus on how to best position your team for when that time comes.
As long as you are bringing your best self to your job by being a good leader, supporting your team members, and helping them grow, you are doing everything in your power to keep them around as long as it’s right. And when the day arrives that they decide it’s no longer the best fit for them, they will probably be correct. And you can be prepared.
Managing your team has never been easier
Change is inevitable. But, with clear communication, you can deliver great results regardless of any challenges you’re up against. A Work OS like monday.com can help keep your entire team in sync, so everyone knows who’s working on what and how their contributions ladder up to your big-picture objectives. Get in touch with our team of experts today to learn how we can help you drive business impact.