Two Weeks Is Not Enough Time!
The clock is ticking.
An employee just gave notice, and you now have 10 business days to find their replacement. No pressure, right?
With the national unemployment rate remaining below four percent, you’re probably thinking, “Two weeks is not nearly enough time!” And if you’re like most organizations, it could take several weeks – if not months – to fill an open position.
Our recommendation? Don’t be like most organizations. Use these tips to respond swiftly and effectively, and shorten your search for the right replacement:
Don’t panic.
If your employee will be working for the next two weeks, use that time wisely. Develop a transition plan which includes:
- What they must finish themselves before leaving
- An inventory of their regular job duties, current projects and priorities
- A list of business contacts who must be notified of the change
- A “knowledge transfer” meeting, during which you can document essential information which would otherwise leave with the employee
Evaluate the need for a replacement.
Once you’ve assessed the situation, you’ll have a good idea of what the employee did and how much of a void they will leave. Compare this to your current employees’ capacity and skills, as well as your current and future workload in the affected department.
Then, put your plan into action.
Scenario 1: Immediate replacement needed.
If the position cannot remain vacant, a qualified staffing agency like PrideStaff can:
- Quickly provide a trained temporary to cover the position while you search for someone new. If you’re hiring on your own, PrideStaff’s blog contains a multitude of resources you can use to recruit, interview and hire effectively.
- Provide a temporary on a temp-to-hire basis, so you can evaluate their skills, work ethic and cultural fit on the job before extending an offer for employment.
- Rapidly recruit qualified candidates for direct hire. We handle the time-consuming aspects of hiring, and you pay nothing unless you hire a candidate we refer.
Scenario 2: Divide and conquer.
If your current team has the skills and capacity, you may be able to distribute the exiting employees’ responsibilities among them. Just be careful not to overwork your core team or diminish your ability to take on additional work.
Finally, make sure the resignation is an isolated incident – and not a pattern.
When a single “bad apple” quits, it can be a welcome relief. But if you’re seeing too many good people leave, you could have a real retention problem. Read this post on the biggest employee retention issues to spot and fix problems before people start quitting in droves.
Need help today?
Contact your local PrideStaff office today to get started.
