How to Quickly Replace an Employee Who Quit Without Notice

Nothing is more frustrating for an employer than an employee who quits their job suddenly and without warning.

This is especially true for employees who leave in the middle of a busy month, without notice.

While many employers are accustomed to the courtesy of 2-weeks’ advance notice before an employee leaves, full notice is not legally required across the country. Many states are “right to work,” meaning an employee can quit their job when and as they please, without warning.

While such events are devastating and challenging to overcome for many businesses, there are some useful methods businesses can deploy to mitigate the effects of a sudden opening.

Post an Advertisement

The first step is posting an ad on employment websites such as LinkedIn, Indeed, or Glassdoor. These advertisements tend to have varying turnaround times that can range from only a couple of hours after being posted to up to six weeks before an applicant responds.

When it comes to job advertisements, it is best to make the description detailed enough to ensure the applicant is aware of what the role entails. Hopefully, your departing employee will work out their remaining two weeks, giving you a buffer to minimize the time their role is vacant.

Ideally, you will have an ongoing talent pool of previous applicants you can tap when an employee leaves suddenly. Keeping this pool “warm” by staying in communication with the best candidates can help you replace a lost employee at a moment’s notice.

Win Them Back

In some instances, it is entirely possible to convince a departing employee to stay on. But it could mean having some difficult conversations. Chances are, you can learn a lot about a departing employee. Employers who take the time to get to the root cause of the employee’s dissatisfaction and who demonstrate they truly care about their feedback will have more success diffusing the situation and winning back a valuable employee.

Many employees who’ve suddenly left their job cite a variety of reasons for leaving. Among those most common:

• Poorly run company
• Toxic work environment
• Overbearing management
• Poor compensation
• Family circumstances
• A better offer elsewhere

It can be a bitter pill getting to the root cause of your employee’s dissatisfaction. But if you can take their feedback to heart and make changes that address those concerns, chances are you’re not just making work better for one person. You’ll be making a better workplace for all your employees.

Temporary Hires

Working with a temp agency is one of the quickest methods to replace an employee. Many temp agencies provide highly talented professionals capable of stepping into virtually any role. In addition, the agencies responsible for fielding these workers can usually provide their services quickly and have you back to total operational capacity in a matter of days.

Many temp workers will seek to transition to a full-time role after their contract is up. So, a temporary hire that is performing well might become a permanent solution to your lost employee.

Get Proactive

Replacing an employee is never a simple matter, regardless of the level of warning you are given. There is no “right time” for a great employee’s departure.

That’s why so many businesses come to ESSG. We take care of all your “back office” employment and workforce services. We are available to your employees for any work-related concern or problem. Because nobody manages and cares for your employees like we do, we can reduce turnover and streamline tasks like onboarding and other business operations that normally take so much time and resources to get a new hire up to speed.

If you need a professional in your “back office,” contact ESSG. We take on the costly, time-consuming tasks of running a business and managing a workforce.