How Can I Retain Team Members After a Senior Manager's Sudden Resignation?

Dear All, I am working in an IT company as an HR professional with a team of about 150 employees. We have offices in various locations, including Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, the US, Mexico, etc. Currently, I am based in the NCR office and have recently joined the company just one month ago. My HR Head brought to my attention a concerning situation in the Mumbai office. A senior manager in Mumbai, who had formed his own team within the company, has resigned due to health issues. Subsequently, other team members under him have also started resigning, citing invalid reasons. I seek advice on strategies to retain the remaining team members in light of this situation. Thank you.

It appears that the reason of "poor health" under which the senior member resigned could be fictitious. He might be the one influencing others to join the new company one by one.

This situation occurs in many places. At the regional office, when Regional Managers are given a free hand to operate, they often form a clique, which starts acting as a pressure group. Over time, management may succumb to the pressure tactics of this group.

Your HR Head should have identified this problem long ago. If he had been more attentive, the situation could have been mitigated. However, now a full-blown crisis is looming. Your HR Head needs to travel to Mumbai to identify the problem. He should talk to the team and find out what can be done to retain them. Obviously, a salary increase is a major factor for retention. The HR Head needs to strike a balance between the viability of a salary increase and organizational requirements.

What are the cons if management lets go of the entire team? How many members are there? How much time will it take to replace them? The downside of their retention is that they may continue to bargain indefinitely. This issue could spread to other offices as well. Is it possible to address disciplinary issues with 1-2 of them and terminate their employment? This could deter the remaining employees.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Detecting Early Signs of Employee Discontent

The sooner you detect that someone might be thinking of leaving, the better chance you have of changing their mind. This is why you should always be on the lookout for significant changes in the behavior of your team members.

Signs to Watch For

The kind of signs that you might need to be concerned about include:

• Impatience, either with people or tasks.

• Disengagement from the team, perhaps by being "absent" mentally, or using increased sick leave.

• The venting of negative feelings in "water cooler conversations."

Be aware that any change in behavior may be significant when it comes to ensuring that valued team members are happy. In some cases, a seemingly positive change may be just as much of a warning sign as an obviously negative one. For example, a team member whose productivity suddenly increases may see this as a way of impressing a potential new boss in another department, or they may be anxious to leave with a clear desk and conscience.

Similarly, a colleague who used to stay focused on their work but begins to chat at colleagues' desks may be avoiding work they no longer enjoy.

There's no need to become cynical about such changes, but do consider them in the context of that team member's performance and behavior. Then you can decide the best way to sustain that person’s contribution to the team.

Timing and Context

There are particular times in the calendar year when you need to be especially alert to changes in people's attitudes. When people have longer periods away from their jobs, such as during summer or end-of-year vacations, they may be prompted to rethink their situation.

Such "moments of truth" can also occur at the signing-off of long projects or even at the end of the financial year. Team members who’ve been in their role for some time may feel a responsibility, or even a moral obligation, to make a move only when one activity is finished and the next hasn’t yet started.

Regards,
Varun

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