An employee who was one of your top performers gave notice and left the organization. She had a great offer from a competitor. She told her supervisor “there is plenty of development opportunity at the new company”. Could you have prevented this? YES!
One employee leaving usually does not bring concern. But a few factors here should be of concern.
- She was a top performer.
- She perceived there was more professional opportunity elsewhere.
- She gave you notice before exiting.
Those factors indicate this was not a spur of the moment decision. There were indicators that this was coming. Let’s move backwards in time.
When was the last time you and she had a strengths and value conversation? Did she hear from you that you knew she excelled in her work? Did she know you valued her unique abilities in the role and on your team? What did her last performance review indicate – recognition for excellence or what needs improvement?
Examine the indicators:
- She was looking for more growth. Had she been asking for more and different work? Was she seeking feedback from you and mentors? That request for feedback could have been as ordinary as describing how she solved the latest problem or asking your opinion about something.
- She was looking for more opportunity. Did you, as the supervisor, know that? You would know if you have growth and value conversations frequently. If you knew it and offered to send her to training. But that may not have been appreciated. Maybe you were not really hearing what she wanted. Mentoring, coaching, exposure to other departments in the organization or work on more complex projects, might just be the growth she was talking about. Employee with high potential needs are often not talking about training, but practice and discovery.
- She gave notice. That was the right thing to do and good employees will do that. But it is also a way to give you, the supervisor, a chance to keep her. That could have been a chance to make up for lost time. To have the value conversation. To find out what her career goals are for the short and long term and how you could support those goals. It is important not to just hear her, but develop a plan and execute it with her.
Don’t wait! Have those strengths and value conversation this week with your best employees!