What to do when an employee leaves the company?

Recently the following question was posed: “As a manager, is it important to address your team when someone leaves the company?”

The answers varied based on the individual offering the answer and it generally told a lot about that individual, their corporate background, age, and professional experience.

The landscape of how businesses and managers operate with employees and customers has changed. Traditionally, businesses kept tight lipped about internal things and in essence told their internal employees to keep their heads down, not worry about it, and do their jobs.

Integrity in the form of open communication and honesty with employees is crucial in developing a positive atmosphere in the workplace.
Secrecy in the organization today leads to worry, concern, and low-morale among employees.

Be open and honest with your team members. Don’t break any laws or violate privacy policies, but be open, honest, and don’t make it a big deal with your current team. Most of the time, they’re just concerned about where they stand in the organization. Is there a problem with the company? Am I next to go? Should I be worried I’m doing the same thing they did? etc.

Take this opportunity to reassure your existing team and reinforce the principles that you have in place and the expectations that you have for you team members.