By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
It is the phrase every manager dreads hearing from a valued staff member – “when you have a minute I need to talk with you“. As one manager explained to me – the follow-up to this is often a resignation. In today’s workplace with vacancy rates hovering around 10% in most health systems, losing an experienced staff member can present significant staffing challenges.
In a new 2017 report from Nursing Solutions on retention and staff, the good news is that staffing turnover was down in 2016. The bad news is that it is not down for RNs in first two years of practice. More than 50% of turnover is attributable to this group of staff and job hopping is expected to increase. My own experience with young students indicates that because they have less work experience, they often think the grass will be greener in another work setting. Sometimes, it is the case, and the new employer is a better match for them but not always. I have had many students tell me that they wished they had not left an employer but feel too embarrassed to go back.
Many employers now have very active strategies to stay in contact with staff who have left and invite them back. Nurse leaders who don’t already do this should strongly consider the five following ways that they can leave the door open for staff to return:
- Before the staff member leaves, sit down with them and wish them the very best. End the conversation by saying that sometimes new positions don’t work out as well as we think they will and if this happens, please call me. Don’t ever bad mouth the new employer.
- Leave a great last impression by giving them a going away party and thanking them for their contributions.
- Ask to connect with the staff member on LinkedIn – this will give you access so you can see how they are progressing in their career and send congratulatory messages.
- Don’t hold grudges against staff who leave and speak highly of them to their co-workers who probably do stay in touch with them.
- Send holiday messages and if the staff member has had a major tragic life event – reach out.
How you manage staff who leave speaks volumes about your leadership. If you lose a staff member, keep in mind that it does not have to be forever. Really great supportive managers are unfortunately in short supply but staff often don’t realize this until they leave so leave the door open.
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