There are a few meals that aren’t half bad as leftovers. Cold roast chicken, potato salad, even coleslaw is good. But why settle for leftovers if you can enjoy a fresh meal instead? Surely fresh food is a better option? Yet in recruiting, when someone resigns, managers often scramble to do everything they can to keep them, and I have to wonder why, because it’s the perfect opportunity to get in someone new.
Consider this: When a permanent staff member hands in their notice, they have probably already got another job. They’ve been for interviews, signed a contract and already considered their options. Leaving may be news for the manager, but it isn’t for them.
Chances are, they’re leaving because they’ve not been happy for a while. Trying to make them stay by dangling a few carrots isn’t going to change much. If they do stay, they’re seldom as productive or motivated and sometimes it can actually be more damaging to the team. Let them leave. Even if they were good, things will never be the same. They’ve shown they aren’t happy there, and there’s a good possibility that if they stay, in a few months time, they will be looking for other options again.
Forget the fear factor
One of the concerns that managers have is that they will never find someone as good to replace the person with. But what if you were to find someone better? There are a lot of good people out there and a lot of good reasons to bring in fresh talent to make your team perform even better.
In IT having to maintain a system is quite different from building it. It requires different skills and the costs are different too. Why pay the same costs when the maintenance could be so much cheaper?
Bringing in someone new also has the benefit of gaining a fresh perspective on a project. That person can help identify solutions that people involved in the project have been unable to solve because they are just too immersed in what they’re working on. The new person brings with them both expertise and an outside objective view. Also they’ll be looking for the best solution without having to defend the decisions made earlier on in the project.
Employees that have been around for a while may be good, but there is a strong temptation for them to rest on their laurels. After all, they’ve already shown they can do the job. Unfortunately this usually means that over time they become lazy and no longer feel the need to put in any extra effort. A new person will want to prove themselves so they’ll work harder and be more motivated. This alone should be reason enough for managers to jump on to the opportunity to hire when they can.
It’s all about the money – use it wisely
Yes people leave for more money, but offering them more money won’t necessarily make them stay. Rather than throwing money at counter offers rather put that money to the budget to hire someone new. The person who has resigned has already given as much value as you’re going to get from them, whereas someone new could have a lot more to offer.
If you brought in an existing contractor for a specific project and that project has been completed, then re-allocate the funding for that role to another project. That way you can ensure you get the right expertise and optimise the value you’re getting from your budget.
At the end of the day you want a team that is motivated and productive, and sometimes the best way to do that is to bring in fresh talent. Be smart with your recruiting budget and make it work for you by getting in new people when you need to and taking up the opportunity to hire whenever it arises.
