Have you lost any good employee talent recently? Do you think the loss was necessary?  Was the defection for the purpose of a better opportunity, or because they “checked out” of your organization?  Did they emigrate or immigrate?  That is, did they flee away from your organization or run toward another? 

Employees leave for a variety of reasons, such as: boredom, under appreciation, underpayment, disillusionment with company politics, stress levels or management tactics, or need to “move up” in their career. Of course, we can expect that regardless of the person, sooner or later they are likely to move on.  Let’s face it.  You and I have long-term career needs, too.  If they were perceived as impossible in your current situation, you would move on too, right?

However, the fact is that we can mitigate the losses incurred with employee defection if we address most of the needs (or perceived needs) that cause our employees to head for the door.  Moreover, the loss of one employee can be infectious; if there doesn’t seem to be a valid reason.  This can increase your costs exponentially.

We all know that good employees tend to leave before the bad ones.  Logic follows that if you are not maintaining the valuable employees longer or are unable to infuse the company with more valuable resources over time, your resources will dry up, de-energizing the whole operation. 

Let’s focus on the experienced worker, who carries with them wisdom, historical knowledge of the organization, and staff who are more loyal to them than to the organization itself.  What will become of your company if you have a mass exodus? 

Check in personally with your key experienced personnel on an intermittent basis.  Take their satisfaction temperature. The fact is that once people have “checked out” it is difficult to bring them back into the fold. 

Do yourself a favor and catch disillusionment before it really incubates. Disenchanted or resentful employees (experienced or not) can take a long, slow path to leaving the company.  This can be even worse than an “I’m outta here” mentality.  The negative impact of morale from this kind of excruciating exit process is hard to shake. 

Help your experienced workers want to stay with the company by asking them for their advice, including them in decision-making when possible, and offering them flexibility.  All of this is to say that engagement is key.  Withdrawal is the enemy.  As withdrawal calcifies, a return to positive, engaged involvement is difficult to regain. 

Reassess compensation for your experienced team members.  Are they each receiving a realistic package that can compete with comparable options within the industry?  Giving up a small amount of your budget here can pay off exponentially in a valuable resource retained. 

Do your experienced workers know everything?  It may seem that way. They really don’t need any training, right?  Wrong.  Involve them in any new technology developments, changes or shifts in how you handle clients or product development.  Look at your own organization and consider whether you have taken your experienced staff or managers for granted, leaving them out of the newer, more exciting projects. 

Sometimes, even though these efforts have been made, your employee lets you know that he or she is leaving anyway.  It is discouraging, but it happens.  The best reaction is to send them on their way with your blessings, and use the exit interview as a learning activity for yourself and your organization.  You never know; this person could be back again in the future, or might send resources your way, because of the positive, professional way in which you handled the situation.