Departing employees

[G8tr]

As of the end of this week, I will have experienced 100% turnover in the team that I manage. At the same time, my boss also resigned to take another position. All of them left for greener pastures, as my company was acquired and subsequently integrated - thereby destroying its culture. Very sad to see each of them go, and as far as my team goes, it's hard not to take their departures somewhat personally. We went through a lot together and we were pretty loyal to each other when it was "us versus them" prior to integration. Now, that battle has been lost and I feel like the guy cleaning up the battlefield.


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[Sarah in SC]

That is very demoralizing. I, too, would take it personally, even though they weren't leaving "you" per se. It surely makes it hard to keep your game face on with the new hires. I am sorry you are going through this.

 

[G8tr]

That is very demoralizing. I, too, would take it personally, even though they weren't leaving "you" per se. It surely makes it hard to keep your game face on with the new hires. I am sorry you are going through this.

Thanks. That is exactly how I feel. When one of my new employees learned my last legacy team member was leaving, she was a bit shocked. I'm sure she immediately questioned why she joined us, but has now probably accepted reality. All I can do is keep myself together and provide some sense of stability (or even vision) as I rebuild the team. I guess all managers go through this at some point in their careers. It sucks, but it's part of the learning process, right up there with firing people. I'm also learning that I can't let my current work situation poison my personal life. Not worth letting the cancer spread.


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[eytonxav]

Many years ago my former mega-corp got sold down the river by our CEO in a so-called merger of equals. We went from a wonderful company to the dark side very quickly after the merger was completed and wrong people were placed into key positions. Many of the execs from my former company bailed almost immediately, and I should have seen the handwriting on the wall and bailed myself, but I waited around three years until a voluntary retirement package was offered. HR projected 10,000 employees would take that offer, however, it turned out to be 21,000. When the newco was formed, I didn't have to rebuild my team, but got sick and tied of having to lay off perfectly good people each year and more work piled on fewer and fewer. I feel for you.

 

[DrRoy]

I have found that many things I took personally were not about me. It is hard not to feel that way. Just as you react to how things affect you, your colleagues were just doing what they saw as being best for them, which is also not hard to understand. Just try to see that it was not a reflection on you or your relationship to them, and then also do what is best for you as things are now.

 

[RunningBum]

As you say, they almost certainly left due to the takeover and culture change, not because of you. For all they knew, you were going to leave too. Many of us who ER'd, if we had decent co-workers and bosses, didn't like leaving anyone in a bind when we left, but we all have to do what's best for ourselves. In that situation any notion of loyalty to the company went away with the acquisition and integration.


What kept you there?

 

[MichaelB]

All I can do is keep myself together and provide some sense of stability (or even vision) as I rebuild the team. I guess all managers go through this at some point in their careers. It sucks, but it's part of the learning process, right up there with firing people. I'm also learning that I can't let my current work situation poison my personal life. Not worth letting the cancer spread.

It's very challenging to not take some things personally, but it is also critical to your ability to maintain balance and health. Caring about some things, even while acknowledging you cannot control them, is a healthy sign IMHO, and you sound like you're finding the right balance. Good luck ..

 

[Sunset]

So why didn't you leave ?

I was at a private company when it got sold to a larger one, I was stupid and just went along with it all.
Should have told them I wanted a 20% raise or I'd walk, immediately after the sale when they seriously needed us all.
It was 2 years later, they did a series of layoffs (without any packages of course) and I was one of them.

Loyalty is not rewarded.

 

[RobbieB]

You like it there?

Your whole team as well as your boss?

Good luck.

 

[Midpack]

All I can do is keep myself together and provide some sense of stability (or even vision) as I rebuild the team. I guess all managers go through this at some point in their careers. It sucks, but it's part of the learning process, right up there with firing people. I'm also learning that I can't let my current work situation poison my personal life. Not worth letting the cancer spread.

It's very challenging to not take some things personally, but it is also critical to your ability to maintain balance and health. Caring about some things, even while acknowledging you cannot control them, is a healthy sign IMHO, and you sound like you're finding the right balance. Good luck ..

It takes time, best of luck G8tr.

 

[rayinpenn]

I've been with mega Corp 32 years and my attitude today -
With each paycheck our relationship starts new: I owe them nothing and they owe me nothing. They tell us what a great company we work for yet they cut our benefits time and time again because it is what the 'market warrants' ... It is almost comical but I grown weary of hearing the lies even they don't believe.

My only defense is to stay current, positive and build powerful allies - I've kept myself technically proficient with big data skills. I never say no if I must I get someone else to say it for me.

Ultimately if they want my skills they need to pay.



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[G8tr]

As you say, they almost certainly left due to the takeover and culture change, not because of you. For all they knew, you were going to leave too. Many of us who ER'd, if we had decent co-workers and bosses, didn't like leaving anyone in a bind when we left, but we all have to do what's best for ourselves. In that situation any notion of loyalty to the company went away with the acquisition and integration.


What kept you there?

What kept me there? Primarily career progression and money. At this point, I've probably topped out in both. I'm not at headquarters and the most recent round of raises/stock grants was anemic, so I'll need to look outside for anything more. I can take my time to find the right position, but I'll be working pretty hard as I reconstitute the team and train up my new employees.


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[G8tr]

You like it there?

Your whole team as well as your boss?

Good luck.

Yes, though not all at the same time. Lots of other people too. It seems like a situation of the "ships abandoning the sinking rat".


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[G8tr]

So why didn't you leave ?

I was at a private company when it got sold to a larger one, I was stupid and just went along with it all.
Should have told them I wanted a 20% raise or I'd walk, immediately after the sale when they seriously needed us all.
It was 2 years later, they did a series of layoffs (without any packages of course) and I was one of them.

Loyalty is not rewarded.

That's not my plan, as megacorp doesn't react well to threats. They're convinced that people should be lucky to work for them. They'll just pile the work on the remaining employees and use temporary contractors to bridge the gap.


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[G8tr]

Many years ago my former mega-corp got sold down the river by our CEO in a so-called merger of equals. We went from a wonderful company to the dark side very quickly after the merger was completed and wrong people were placed into key positions. Many of the execs from my former company bailed almost immediately, and I should have seen the handwriting on the wall and bailed myself, but I waited around three years until a voluntary retirement package was offered. HR projected 10,000 employees would take that offer, however, it turned out to be 21,000. When the newco was formed, I didn't have to rebuild my team, but got sick and tied of having to lay off perfectly good people each year and more work piled on fewer and fewer. I feel for you.

Sounds like one of my prior companies. That's exactly what happened and I bailed too. The leftover executives were just marking time until their lucrative retention packages fully vested and ignored most merger-related problems.


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[G8tr]

I've been with mega Corp 32 years and my attitude today -
With each paycheck our relationship starts new: I owe them nothing and they owe me nothing. They tell us what a great company we work for yet they cut our benefits time and time again because it is what the 'market warrants' ... It is almost comical but I grown weary of hearing the lies even they don't believe.

My only defense is to stay current, positive and build powerful allies - I've kept myself technically proficient with big data skills. I never say no if I must I get someone else to say it for me.

Ultimately if they want my skills they need to pay.



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Good advice. It is made even more powerful if you have outside options. It's always a good idea to assess periodically what you're worth in the market.


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[G8tr]

It's very challenging to not take some things personally, but it is also critical to your ability to maintain balance and health. Caring about some things, even while acknowledging you cannot control them, is a healthy sign IMHO, and you sound like you're finding the right balance. Good luck ..

Thanks. It's not easy to acknowledge that you can't control employee departures. More money can't solve a bad work environment, no matter how good your boss is to you. I treated my people well, so I do take consolation that their departure was not because I didn't care/fight for them.


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[Aerides]

You're right more money is not the answer. It's a temporary salve that only adds guilt.

I've actually helped push employees to leave at least to other departments when I could see things going south, or even if things are ok, if I could see them running the risk of getting stagnant staying in the same role too long. I'm at a big Mega, so it's quite common to move around while moving up.

I'd rather help them make smart career moves, even at my expense, because those are the "wins" I'll look back and career highlights after I leave. Not the project I got in under budget, or the system disaster I averted, or the contract I nailed, but the people I helped get promoted, or saved from getting cut.

I help them with resumes, give them interview tips, drop a nice note to the potential other hiring leader, etc. I always took it as my responsibility to coach and support my staff first, and the projects/work second - maybe that's why I'm an RE candidate and not a VP, ha!

 

[Sarah in SC]

More money can't solve a bad work environment, no matter how good your boss is to you.

This. Money is never good enough to make you stay, unless you are a masochist.

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

This. Money is never good enough to make you stay, unless you are a masochist.

No, it is merely a temporary salve. That said, it is better than nothing and does buy a manager time to find a solution for the underlying problem.

 

[Brat]

Why on earth are you staying?

Let the new management deal with the mess they created, find another job before they find an excuse to fire you.

 

[Lakewood90712]

Sorry about the situation you are in. Are you absolutely stuck staying for a pension ? If not you have only 2 choices as my small mind sees things:

1 Drink the new company cool-aid and go all in .

2 Start the new job search TODAY !

Sucks, but you can't have things both ways , and trying to do so will be like sitting on a Pickett fence.

The exodus of your staff may be exactly the what upper management desires