As engineering leaders, we often focus on hiring, developing, and retaining talent. However, an equally important aspect of team management is handling exits – both voluntary and involuntary. How we manage these transitions can significantly impact our team’s morale, productivity, and long-term success. Let’s explore the dos and don’ts of managing team exits.

When Things Go South: Handling Involuntary Exits

People may forget many things about their job, but the day they’re let go is etched in their memory forever. Every minute of that day counts, so it’s crucial to handle these situations with utmost care and respect.

Show Leadership and Respect

As a leader, it’s your responsibility to handle difficult conversations directly. Don’t hide behind HR or the People Team. Show up, be present, and demonstrate genuine respect for the individual, regardless of the circumstances leading to their exit.

Consider the Ripple Effect

Remember, the exiting employee likely has social connections within your team. Whatever they experience during their exit process will be shared with their colleagues. If they leave feeling disrespected or unfairly treated, it can bring down the morale of your entire team.

Make the Best of a Bad Situation

While letting someone go is never pleasant, you can strive to make the process as respectful and supportive as possible. Offer guidance on next steps, provide honest and constructive feedback, and if appropriate, offer to serve as a reference for future opportunities.

For a deeper dive into handling these challenging situations, I highly recommend Ben Horowitz’s book, “The Hard Thing About Hard Things.” It offers valuable insights on navigating the toughest aspects of leadership. It’s mandatory reading for all my managers.

The Positive Approach: Planning for Voluntary Transitions

On the flip side, it’s important to recognize that people won’t (and shouldn’t) stay on your team forever. Variety in one’s career is healthy and contributes to personal and professional growth.

I was once in a meeting with a group of managers and HR about an engineer that resigned. And the person from HR was explaining the exit interview feedback they said “He said he left because he was on teh same team for 8 years, and nothing was changing”, his manager had missed this conversation with him in 1on1s, and we lost a good engineer, after that we got regular reports from HR about team tender to make sure we were addressing it. And as a Director I make a habit of pushing my managers to have conversation about how their directs are felling on the team, if they fell like a change, especially if they’ve been on the same team for 3-4 years.

If you have an engineer leave for another company to progress their career, it will send the wrong message to the other engineers on their team.

So plan for people to transition to other teams within your organization. Help them find roles that align with their future aspirations and development goals. This approach not only supports individual growth but also retains valuable talent within the company.

And for any engineer who’s been on your team for about three years, start having conversations about their future aspirations. Are they still finding the work challenging? Would they like to try something different? The exact timing may vary based on the individual and the nature of the work, but don’t let these conversations slide. In my experience, most people who’ve been in the same role for 8+ years are likely contemplating a significant change.

It’s far better to keep a good engineer within your organization, even if they move to a different team, than to lose them to another company. An internal move is usually less disruptive than an external exit. Moreover, you want to cultivate an environment where people feel they can grow their careers within the organization, rather than feeling they need to leave to progress.

Mark the Moment

Whether someone is moving to another team or leaving the company, always mark the moment with your team. Celebrate their contributions, share memories, and wish them well in their future endeavors at a team lunch or make an occasion somehow for this. This not only honors the departing team member but also reinforces a positive team culture.

Conclusion

Managing exits, whether voluntary or involuntary, is a crucial leadership skill. By handling these situations with respect, foresight, and empathy, you can maintain a positive team culture, support individual growth, and contribute to the overall health of your organization. Remember, how people leave your team is just as important as how they join it. Make every exit a testament to your leadership and your team’s values.