You have probably received a call from your employee and they want to talk to you urgently. You schedule a meeting and to your surprise, their journey with you has apparently come to an end. You are shocked and not sure what to do right away. 

Sometimes these resignations come unexpectedly for the employers or managers, especially if the employees are good at their job or if the bosses treat their workers right. 

But at a certain point it might be imperative for an employee to resign. It may be for a better opportunity or plans to move to another country. 

As a manager, when you learn of one of your employee’s departure, how do you react? You should understand that as a leader, what happens next matters and needs to be highly considered.

Here is how to best handle this;

Ask them to write a formal letter

Timothy Muhire, an entrepreneur points out that as a manager, you need to let the employee write a letter explaining why they are leaving the company and all the important details. Also, give the employee an opportunity to say goodbye to their colleagues. 

"Don’t just let them vanish because they are no longer part of the team. You can do that by throwing a party for them and allow them give a farewell speech. The party doesn’t have to be big, simple and casual is good enough,” he says.

Keep in touch where necessary 

Muhire carries on that no one knows what the future holds, you or your former employee might need each other. Don’t create grudges because they left your company. In case they need a recommendation, gladly give it to them, don’t make them plead. 

Re-evaluate your business plan and risk management actions

Experts say that a great leader has a backup plan in case something like this happens. If you haven’t decided on one by now, you should start thinking about a good plan. You need to consider the possibility of people leaving. Even though it’s not pleasant, it’s a possibility. Optimism won’t help that much in these circumstances. Make sure there is always somebody in the team who can take the role of the person resigning. 

Try keeping them 

Muhire notes that you can have a dialogue and know why this person wants to leave. If the fundamental issues are resolvable and worth resolving, you can decide to make the changes needed to keep them. Even if you can’t fix the problem for the employee who wants to quit, their feedback can still be crucial. After all, you may be able to put measures in place which prevent this issue from becoming a problem with future hires.

Ask them some questions 

The entrepreneur also adds that it can be a form of friendly conversation that you show some concern on a few things by asking these employees some questions. Such as; what compelled you to start looking for another job? Why are you leaving? What does your new position offer that influenced your decision to leave? What could we have done better? Would you ever consider returning to this company? Was the position what you thought it would be? Was there a specific person or event that led to your resignation? And so forth. 

This will enable you understand why this person made the decision to leave and can help the company work on their weaknesses, Muhire adds.

Notify co-workers and customers about the resignation

According to the Balance Careers website, to notify other employees about an employee’s resignation, start by telling the employee’s own department about the employee’s resignation. Perhaps call a quick meeting and inform the other employees that the employee’s last day is in two weeks. Tell them that you will appreciate their help to pick up any loose ends and inform them to whom the various responsibilities have been assigned.