Filling the Gap a Valued Employee Leaves When Exiting Your MSP Company
Your MSP company will have employees quit, you’ll have to fire them, and sometimes they’ll even pass away unexpectedly. For all such scenarios, there suddenly emerges a gap which must be dealt with. In terms of technology, this is especially true, because oftentimes tech firms are tightly-knit groups where one individual has substantial responsibilities within a company. Following are some tips to help you cover the “slack” in the “line” of your business when you lose a valued worker:
- Have a plan mapped out in advance
- Divvy up tasks appropriately
- Always have backup replacements within easy contact
Have a Plan Mapped Out in Advance
Each employee on your team should have duties, objectives, and responsibilities ironed out in a way which can be referenced. You need to always have this information available should an emergency come, and you suddenly need to divvy up tasks. Certain things will require you to look into them after the fact, like a list of prospective conversions, for example. However, if you know employee “A” had such a list, then you can divvy it up between employees “B” and “C” without too much hassle. Plan what to do in an emergency like an employee loss out of the blue.
Divvy Up Tasks Appropriately
People will have to “take up the slack” for your MSP company when there’s a firing, someone quits, or a staff member dies. Sometimes, you can’t afford to pay bonuses for this extra work, and sometimes you can. Sometimes, employees will be glad to take the extra work, as it means more money for them. This is often true in sales when a lead list must be divvied up. If you’ve got a plan in mind, you may find that filling the gap is much less problematic than it could be. Part of a good recovery plan means not allowing employee loss to impact client service delivery.
Always Have Backup Replacements Within Easy Contact
When you hire an employee, you likely go through a process which puts you into contact with more than one prospective candidate who has skills requisite to the position. Don’t just throw away these applications. Keep them in a file and check in on these individuals if you know you’re about to lose an employee. For example, if you must fire someone, then you need to have their replacement prepped beforehand. If somebody dies or quits, you should be able to give a secretary a list of potential candidates so he or she can go down it and find an appropriate replacement.
Don’t expect to easily fill such a gap, however. The tech industry is exceptionally competitive, and those working within it understand their worth well enough to avoid what they may consider a bad deal. There is hot demand here, and you need to respect that. To summarize: replace a lost employee with one who can do the job ASAP, but have a plan if you can’t.
More Sustainable Operations
If you’ve got a plan, a list of potential replacements, and ability to delegate, you’re likely to succeed. Lastly, don’t be afraid to dive in and do necessary work yourself for your MSP company.
