After spending weeks, maybe months, investing countless hours in reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates, you’ll want to make sure that the number one candidate who’s accepted the position doesn’t change their mind.
While most professionals who sign an offer letter follow through on their commitment, don’t assume that everything will go smoothly. Things happen.
Once the resignation has been tendered, your new hire is suddenly in limbo, a ‘Man without a country’. It can be an uncomfortable position for them:
- Workplace ‘friends’ may no longer be so friendly.
- Everyone begins to ask, ‘Why are you leaving?’
- The workday seems to never end.
- They’re no longer invited to meetings, nor involved with future projects.
- Family members may resist change such as relocating, causing stress for your hire.
You want to make sure that your new hires don’t feel like they’re stuck ‘between a rock and a hard place.’
Paving the way:
- Find out when a candidate will tender the resignation and follow up to make sure that it happened. Share personal experiences you may have had when resigning.
- Stay in contact. Encourage company leadership and new coworkers to make contact via personal calls and emails. Crank up the neighborhood welcoming committee.
- Be ready with a plan if the current employer makes a counter offer. Counter offers come in the form of more money, promises of a better future, and appeals to one’s emotions of guilt and loyalty.
- Invite your new hires to company functions that may be scheduled prior to their start date.
- Announce their addition to your team through a press release and on the website—with their permission, of course.
Remember, maintaining contact during the transition period is cheap insurance against repeating a search.