Q: One of my best employees is leaving the company due to the family relocating. I don’t have a lot of time before they leave, so do you have any tips for replacing good employees?
A: Replacing good employees can be hard on a supervisor, department or company. Therefore, making sure you replace this person with a well-qualified candidate will be important for the other employees affiliated with the position and the company.
You should review the initial job description with your departing employee. If the employee has been with the company for several years, you need to confirm that the description is still relevant. Have your employee make any revisions to their initial job description; adding tasks that may have been assumed by their position and deleting duties that are no longer performed.
Although you may have a Human Resources department that maintains employee information, the most recent and accurate information directly from your employee is going to help you with finding the best candidate for your department or company.
Once you have a realistic job description, there are several places where you may share this opportunity. Obviously if you have a website, that is a good place to start for a job posting. However, depending on the size of your company, simply posting a position on your website may not provide the exposure you need to access the most qualified candidates in the timeframe necessary.
There are numerous job websites that can provide a posting for your position. Selecting an industry-specific job board or website may be even more advantageous if the position requires industry experience. Business or trade affiliations may also provide an opportunity for employment ads.
If you are seeking a local candidate, community or regional area resources are available through local newspaper or periodical website editions. Social media has also become a valuable resource for employers and job seekers. Recruiting agencies are also an alternative resource if you do not have the time or resources to manage job postings, resume management or candidate contact.
Generally, it is a good idea to pre-screen the candidates with a phone interview. Potential employee candidates can then be scheduled for in-person interviews. Once pre-screening is complete, you may want to get management and/or staff that will be directly working with your candidate to be a part of your interview process. Many employers are now conducting interview panels where 4-5 staff members interview one candidate at a time. Having at least two people at a single interview is a good idea to share thoughts and perceptions.
And lastly, try and have the new person on board before your current employee leaves. Even one day is a great way to provide the new person with some insight and direction for the position and to the environment they will be joining.
