“It’s not you, it’s me…” – breaking up with employees

With Valentines Day around the corner, it seemed only right for my February blog post to be somewhat Valentine’s themed. Instead of focusing on hearts and roses however, I’ve been somewhat inspired lately to think about the variety of way in which the employment relationship can end.

In my experience, the termination of the employment contract or “break up” tends to happen for a number of predictable reasons. From the employee’s perspective this could be due to poor management, a lack of career progression, a change of direction for the organisation that doesn’t fit with the employee’s values, or a lack of flexibility in terms of working arrangements to cater for changes in circumstances. From the employer’s perspective it’s usually due to a restructure, the requirement to save money, the poor health of an employee preventing them from undertaking their role, or as a result of a disciplinary process. (These are, of course, examples and not an exhaustive list!)

As with romantic relationships, employment relationships can end amicably, or badly. There will be times where amazing employees move on to better roles that simply did not exist with their previous employer. Where this kind of “break up” occurs, providing the relationship has been mutually respectful throughout, there are no hard feelings. This is not always the case however, and for organisations it’s important to ascertain whether or not you really are the problem!

Repeated bad “break ups” can leave a nasty taste with ex-employees and this can have ramifications for an organisation. With websites such as “Glassdoor” affording individuals an opportunity to write company reviews, as well as Employment Tribunal outcomes being available for public review; those pesky ex’s can provide your future talent with a damning report of what it’s really like to enter into an employment relationship with you. It’s also really expensive to have to keep recruiting, never mind the impact that continued new starters have on an organisation’s ability to meet SLA’s and undertake business as usual (time required for training etc.).

So if you as an organisation suspect that you really are the problem, here are a few things to consider to help make improvements and avoid any further heartache….

1.       Check the data – What is your rate of attrition, and how does this vary across different departments? While this can sometimes be predictable (e.g. certain roles by virtue of the nature of the work involved will have a higher attrition rate than others) it might identify a particular area of the organisation that’s losing talent frequently. If that’s the case – you want to know why!

2.       Review those exit questionnaires – Yes, these can often be a platform for disgruntled employees to have a bit of a whinge – but that’s really important! Whether it’s one person with a raft of concerns, or a mass exodus of staff, understanding different individual’s reasons for leaving will help you to make positive changes moving forward. If attrition rates in a particular area of the business are unusually high, your exit questionnaires might reveal the reasons for this e.g. poor management or a lack of flexibility around working hours/location.

3.       Staff survey – If these are done properly they can be an amazing tool for identifying problems within the organisation and giving you a platform to address these. The best way to get honest feedback via a staff survey is to ensure that responses can be provided completely anonymously. One way of doing this, if resources allow, is to engage a separate organisation to distribute the survey and manage the responses. You can also tailor a staff survey to focus on particular areas (if you already have a sense of what might be bothering employees) or you can keep it very general. This can also be a tool for catching trends before they happen; for example, a lack of engagement may be identified here before employees start leaving and the attrition rates are impacted.

4.       Tribunal claims – If the number of employees and/or ex-employees lodging tribunal claims is increasing, there may be an underlying cause, but there are other factors to consider when looking at this information. I’ve worked for organisations where employees wouldn’t even conceive of raising a tribunal claim, and others where tribunal claims are abundant. Whether or not claims are submitted is definitely impacted by cultural factors. Reviewing the nature of each case is essential in determining whether or not you’re being fair and consistent in your approach to employee relations concerns. If tribunals are being lost regularly, there’s something going horribly wrong somewhere that needs addressing as soon as possible. If favourable decisions are being made but tribunal cases continue to be raised however, there’s cultural work to be done around ensuring that employees are listened to and perceive relevant employment processes (and final decisions) to be fair.

5.       HR processes – Linked to the bullet point above, check your HR policies and processes to make sure they comply with the relevant codes of practice, and are fair and easy to navigate. These key documents will help you to ensure that you manage the relationship in an appropriate manner!

6.       Employee engagement – Finally, consider whether or not as an organisation you have mechanisms to receive employee feedback. Is your workforce unionised and do you meet with union representatives regularly? Have you supported the development of a “staff voice” forum to enable staff to bring issues to the table? By opening up a conversation with your employees you will become aware of the issues that are truly important to your workforce (and you may be amazed at what these are!). These forums give you an opportunity to address concerns before they become problems, as well as providing you with ideas regarding reward initiatives that may be truly valued.

Employment relationships are far from simple – at the end of the day we are all people with varied backgrounds, challenges and obstacles to face. Disagreements and conflicts are going to arise and there’s always going to be circumstances where a “break up” is the right thing. Ultimately though, while this can be uncomfortable for everyone involved, if an organisation has acted with integrity and fairness affording opportunities for employee feedback and contribution, you’ve got the best chance of things ending amicably.

So spread a little “love” this Valentine’s Day! Engage with your workforce and take time to work out what it is about you that’s a “turn off” – that way your “perfect match” won’t be deterred from joining your organisation, and you’ll foster working relationships with amazing employees that last.