My Direct Report Just Quit, What Do I Do?

I’ve written plenty on how to quit a job, but how do you respond when you’re on the other side of things?

That’s it. Post over.

The real #1 here is “don’t turn into a jerk.” They are leaving. It’s done. Don’t make it more difficult than it needs to be. Instead, move forward and think about how to help the rest of your team.

There are so many more “do not’s” when someone submits their resignation, but we’ll get to that in a later post. The below outlines how to create a solid transition plan from the moment someone hands in or emails their resignation through their final day, and how to prevent your ship from sinking in between.

1. Determine the final day for the exiting employee

In many cases, the exiting employee will give two weeks' notice (thank you archaic business practices). In some cases, that two weeks won’t be needed. No one wants to sit around waiting to finish out their time, so make some decisions and determine if the full two weeks are needed. If not, set them free.

Say it ain’t snow.

Both parties are looking to move on, so don’t drag it out.

2. Work with HR on…