What to do when an employee resigns

The resignation of a reliable, trusted staff member can cause headaches, not only for their manager but for the entire team.

While an employee’s resignation can be understandable and caused by changes to their health or personal situation, it does leave you in the lurch and you need to manage the extra pressure that will be placed on the rest of your team during an already stressful time.

One option is to turn to a pool of relief staff who could provide you with some breathing space, or you might have some part-time staff who would like to increase their hours in the short-term. Depending on the role, you could also think about hiring an enthusiastic school leaver or university student on their summer break to help out with basic administrative tasks.

Once you have your immediate staffing needs under control, you can plan your permanent recruitment. While it’s tempting to get someone hired as quickly as possible, don’t take shortcuts during the recruitment process. The new employee could be with you for a long time and if you hire the wrong person now, you’re setting yourself up for more headaches in future.  

What you need to think about when recruiting

• Does the position description still fit the required role? Defining the role will allow you to think about what key attributes and skills you’re looking for in your new employee.
• Why should people be interested in working at your company, and how will you generate interest in the position?
• How many hours of work are required to carry out the role, and should this be a full-time or part-time position?
• Is your employment application form still up to scratch? You need a form that covers the applicant’s entitlement to work in New Zealand, any potential conflicts of interest, previous professional disciplinary proceedings, and an authority to undertake checks including contacting referees. The form should also end with a signed declaration from the applicant confirming the accuracy of the information provided.
• During the interview, it’s a good idea to ask open-ended questions that invite the applicant to describe how their experience matches your requirements.
• Always undertake reference checks. If you have any doubts, don’t feel embarrassed about asking more questions. And remember, one of the most useful questions you can ask is “Would you employ this person again?”

How to get the recruitment process right

Getting the recruitment process right is particularly important if you have more than 20 employees. Only an employer with 19 or fewer employees can impose a 90-day trial period for new employees, which means you’ll get one chance to hire the right person. If they don’t work out, you’ll have to start thinking about performance management, which is a complex and stressful process for everyone.

If you get to the end of the recruitment process and are not sure whether you’ve found the right person, advertise again. You might not want to start from scratch but recruitment is a costly business and you need to think about what’s best for the business in the long-term, not just what’s convenient for the here and now.