A valued member of staff has handed in their notice – how do you keep their knowledge while ensuring their successor slots straight in? 

Staff turnover is a fact of life for any business, and even the most dedicated employee will probably want to move on to a fresh challenge eventually. It might be a surprise when a key member of staff hands in their notice, but it does not have to be a problem – it could be a chance to strengthen the company.

Start planning for the employee’s departure immediately. The first step is to think about whether you need a like-for-like replacement, or whether it would be better to import new skills into a new role in your company. This could be an opportunity to work with a team or department to restructure or to set fresh goals and attract someone who can help to meet them.

Don’t overlook the human resources already at your disposal, however. Consider the strengths and aptitudes of current employees; by making internal promotions and shifting responsibilities around, you may be able to build a more capable team from the people you already have around you.

Keeping hold of knowledge

If you decide to go ahead and recruit a replacement for the departing employee, initiate the process quickly. Involve the person who is leaving in writing the job description, person specification and recruitment advert; you could even invite them to brief a recruitment agency. Help them plan their remaining time so it is of most value to your company; ideally, they will complete critical projects and pass unfinished work to colleagues.

When you lose a member of staff, you risk losing the knowledge and connections they have built up while working for you. Encourage your departing employee to set aside plenty of time to organise their files and write a comprehensive handover document which provides information about their contacts, projects and procedures. Don’t let them treat it as a last-minute task – without this information, it could take the new recruit months to grasp their new job.

A good induction process will also save you time by helping an incoming employee to settle in quickly. Consult other staff to find out what the new recruit should know, whether that is learning to use your computer system, knowing where files are kept, understanding other people’s roles or being made aware of the history of projects they will be working on.

A smooth exit
 
Make sure you inform key external contacts about the forthcoming change. Ensure they have a named person in your company to deal with during the interim between one person leaving and another starting. Book appointments with contacts as part of your new employee’s induction, so the new person can start building relationships straight away.

Before your team member leaves, conduct an exit interview. Find out why they are leaving, encourage them to give an honest evaluation of your company and ask them what improvements they would make. What they tell you could be of enormous value as their team or department approaches fresh challenges and new opportunities.

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