Has anyone in your team resigned yet this year? People naturally reflect on the past year and on their personal circumstances at this time, and over the Christmas break, and quite often have a “new year, new start” mindset when they come back in January.
It can be a headache when people resign, especially if they are key people in your organisation, but although it may feel like a disaster, remember no one is actually irreplaceable, and actually someone resigning is a good opportunity for business owners and managers to review the requirements they have and make sure they have the skills and experience they need in their business to make a success of the coming year.
Often the temptation is to recruit an exact replacement for the departing employee. However prior to commencing recruitment it is a good idea to assess the job again to redefine your requirements. Before you start looking, think about these three key points to make sure you get the person you really need:
Do you need to recruit at all?
Look at what the previous postholder was doing, do you actually need someone doing that role? Technology, different ways of working, or different circumstances within your organisation may have overtaken the need you initially had. You may be able to save costs by reassigning the workload elsewhere, providing development opportunities for other staff, or subcontracting it out.
Does the role need changing?
If it was a full-time role previously, does it still need to be? If the workload is adjusted or partially reassigned elsewhere, you may only have a part-time need. Does the role need to be at a different level? Look at how the role will fit with the rest of the organisation and adjust the level if that would work better.
Find out what is needed
Get feedback from people who have an input or interest in the role you are looking at, such as colleagues or clients. Exit interviews with the previous incumbent may also provide helpful insight into how the role could be changed for the better.
Once you’ve got that information you can then think about how you are going to find good candidates, but you’ll have a good framework in place for making sure the new person is exactly what you need for your business.
If you would like advice on successful recruitment in your business, do get in touch.