One of your best employees just gave their two-week notice. They’re leaving, and you’re completely blindsided by the news. Right now, you have one of two decisions to make. You can either wish them well on their new endeavour, or you can try to help them change their decision about leaving. If you want to keep your valued employee, here are some key ways you can achieve that goal.

1. Offer a Raise

Ask your employee if they’re willing to divulge what they will be earning at their new position. If they are willing, ask them if they would stay if you met it or beat it.

The majority of workers are in their jobs for the money, so money is a huge driving factor for making job changes. You might find that a simple raise is all it takes to keep them inside your doors.

2. Give More (Or Less) Responsibility

Perhaps your employee is leaving because they feel over-worked. Or maybe they’re leaving because they don’t feel their skills are valued.

If it’s not already obvious to you, ask your employee if either of these situations apply to them. If so, offer immediate adjustments to their work responsibilities to see if you can keep them.

3. Increase Vacation Time

One or two weeks of vacation time per year doesn’t feel like enough for a lot of workers. Maybe the new employer lured them away by offering four or five weeks. That’s a major deciding factor on where a worker takes their skills.

Don’t be afraid to double vacation time. You’ll end up with a more refreshed, motivated worker that will be more efficient than they were before.

4. Talk in Detail About Why They Made the Decision

Some employees find it difficult to talk to supervisors about their struggles while still working for them. They fear they’ll come across as a complainer or get demoted. That’s why it can be very unexpected to a supervisor when the employee walks in the office and gives the notice to leave. As a supervisor, you may have not known there were any problems to address.

At the point you’re at with the employee now, there’s nothing left for either of you to lose by talking about what was going on that is causing them to leave. It might be something very simple that you can fix, and easily keep the employee.

After all, learning a brand new job isn’t necessarily at the top of anyone’s list of things they want to take on.

5. Give Praise for a Job Well Done

Tell them how much you appreciate all the work they’ve done for you. Tell them that you really hate to lose them and that the company won’t be the same without them. Flat out ask them not to leave.

You might be surprised how being direct about your wishes could strike up a conversation that helps them change their decision. It’s worth a try!

Do All of the Above

If you deeply value your employee, sit them down and do all of the above! Come up with your overall action plan before you invite them for a sit-down. Then, take them out to lunch for a heart-to-heart.

Be ready to offer them all of the specifics about what they’ll get if they change their decision.

Sometimes there’s no way you’ll be able to keep your employee. Maybe they’re leaving because they’re completely burned out on working and plan on staying home with the children. Maybe the new position is such a huge jump in their career that there’s no way you could compete.

In cases like those, unfortunately, it’s time to let them go.

Employees Change Their Decision About Leaving All of the Time

It probably won’t be easy to get your employee to stay. But it certainly is possible.

With these time-tested tips, you could be well on your way to keeping your employee. They’ll be much happier in their jobs with you as well.