Erratic employee

softwareguru

Hi all, appreciate this is more for employees, rather than employers, but I'm at a bit of a loss with this one.

This is a large business, multiple divisions and business operating units, with no central HR. Each business unit has their own management. 

In my business unit, I have a critical / key employee - i.e. the customers buy in to their genuinely inspirational attitude and knowledge of industry, which keeps money coming through the door for consultancy and product sales. If they leave, the customers will almost certainly stop putting business our way, (£1m p.a.). The relationship is where the value is.

I cannot fault their dedication to the customer, their industry and the revenue this person generates. However, they have absolutely no time for me as a Director and their manager, because I know very little about the industry, and in fairness I request a lot of "boring", fairly complex papers and business cases from this individual, to try to learn more myself. These are done to a high standard, surprisingly high actually. I've now started requesting more of this type of report as it is genuinely helpful for me and the business. However, up until 3 months ago, this wasn't something the business had expected him to do, although it was/is evident in their JD this sort of thing could be required.

They then started raising highly critical, but largely valid points about the company, which admittedly adversely affect everybody here. However this is out of my control and HQ aren't interested in doing anything about what this employee describes as "organisational failings", "weak management", "deceptive business practices" and "poor career progression". These are actually valid points which I've acknowledged and fed back.

However, rather than do something about the issues, our business strategy is to retain key staff by essentially paying them off. This person isn't even 30 yet, and is earning close to £60k plus share options, car and healthcare. Well outside of London, up North. So amazing wage, well above the similar role elsewhere. They've not asked for more money, and are generously rewarded annually with a bonus. They've even written in their appraisal they feel overpaid!! I believe they receive a fair wage that's right for them.

Fast forward to today. Resignation letter by email. 3 months notice. No explanation, just very concise and states they are resigning. OK...
Enquiries with employee reveals they have accepted a job in a local supermarket, essentially shelf stacking on £8-9/hour. Tells me they've had enough of internal politics and the stress, and just wants a simple life. (Bear in mind, Under 30!).

If this person leaves, it will take months, if not longer to find a replacement in this specialist industry, and the loss of customers will ruin this business unit when the current projects end. 

Can someone share some light on what might make this employee reconsider? Why would you walk away from a very well paid job, at a young age, with amazing knowledge and throw it away for an supermarket entry level job? Is this some sort of Gen Z or whatever statement? 

softwareguru

Edit: I also get a vibe that this employee is doing this purely to make a rather large statement that they'd rather work stacking shelves than here- which will cause immense reputational damage when he tells our clients about his new job or updates Linkedin etc, and will put a massive spotlight on the business. Would anyone really sacrifice their career to make a point?!

Martin_the_Unjust

It seems that he has stopped enjoying his job (possibly due to the additional workload you have put on him) and has decided that the reward he is currently getting is not worth the hassle.

He could easily be in a situation where the supermarket job pays him enough to live on and gives him the time off to enjoy life.

If you want him to stay you need to find out what you need to offer him.

Mickey666

Perhaps it was all part of a retirement plan   Do you know anything about his personal circumstances?  Has he bought a house, paid off the mortgage, won the lottery, married someone rich?

Basically, you can't run an employee's life so I'd concentrate on finding a replacement fast and meanwhile use the 3 month notice to get out of them everything you need.    Your responsibility is for the business going forward and the remaining employees.

'Key' employees are always a business risk, though it's the first time I've heard about someone claiming to be over-paid as a result

Mmills

I feel it is a little bit unfair to try to force somebody to stay at a role the appear to either not be happy with, or feel that their issues aren't being listened to.  Maybe they just value their own happiness over money/stress?
Not everybody HAS to be career driven - or maybe they are financially stable enough to be able to look at their options for the time being without needing a large wage.

Have you actually asked them what might them reconsider?  Maybe they feel that they know the company will chuck a load more money at them, and so therefore they are playing the game to get more money?  (At a previous company, this also seemed to happen a lot, but it was amusing watching one person threaten to leave/put their notice in and then withdraw it when they realised the extra money wasn't going to be forthcoming).

Either way, I guess as their manager, you should sit down with them away from everything and pick their brain.  If there is nothing that you can do to help on any of it, and HQ aren't interested either, then there probably isn't much more that you can do.  Calculate the financial effect of him leaving/sourcing and training someone new up to the end of the project, then go to HQ armed with that info and see what their views on it. Chucking even more money may be ok for the interim, but if it isn't going to change the working conditions, then you are still going to have an unhappy employee no matter what you pay them.

You admit that by losing them it is going to ruin the business unit, so I would be doing all I could to repair the situation - but it has to start with having a heart to heart with them.

Good luck and keep us updated.

softwareguru

He's definitely stopped enjoying his job, unfortunately. Hasn't even tried to hide that.

Definitely no win on the lottery, and nobody's fed back any rumours or gossip about other life changes, but he seems to live quite modestly, so I imagine he's probably been able to save a good whack from his salary. 

He definitely isn't interested in money, I've tried that and it made it worse, along the lines of "if you think I'm worth that, why would you wait until I've resigned" type speech. In any event, he turned down an increase of over 15% saying it wasn't about the money, and specifically mentioning stress and politics!

I just get the feeling I'm being expected to offer or do something else, but I'm really at a loss. I can't turn the company into Google overnight!! 

theoretica

I know a number of people who left 'desirable' jobs for either nothing or retail.  The supermarket is unlikely to be the final destination, just somewhere to go for a while.  Could he set up in competition in a few months?

I suggest you need to talk this through with your boss first to get an idea of what you can and can't offer in terms of actually acting on some of his good suggestions or to keep him.  Then talk to the employee - or rather listen!  What would he like in order to stay?  Then back to your boss and see how much you can offer him - sounds like it might be career progression or variety, more chance to pick and choose tasks, maybe part time work.

How much of the reports you were asking from him were for the business and how much for your own education?  It is a hard thing to feel you are training your boss, or being instructed to write the text book so they can train themselves.  Also, if they do withdraw their notice, how can you make your department less vulnerable to one employee leaving?

Martin_the_Unjust

.........'in fairness I request a lot of "boring", fairly complex papers and business cases from this individual, to try to learn more myself. These are done to a high standard, surprisingly high actually. I've now started requesting more of this type of report as it is genuinely helpful for me and the business. However, up until 3 months ago, this wasn't something the business had expected him to do, although it was/is evident in their JD this sort of thing could be required.'

Perhaps the above may have something to do with his resignation?

Brynsam

softwareguru said:

He's definitely stopped enjoying his job, unfortunately. Hasn't even tried to hide that.

Definitely no win on the lottery, and nobody's fed back any rumours or gossip about other life changes, but he seems to live quite modestly, so I imagine he's probably been able to save a good whack from his salary. 

He definitely isn't interested in money, I've tried that and it made it worse, along the lines of "if you think I'm worth that, why would you wait until I've resigned" type speech. In any event, he turned down an increase of over 15% saying it wasn't about the money, and specifically mentioning stress and politics!

Sounds a sensible man who has made a decision as to what will make him happy - and you and your employer aren't it. Nothing you can do except start recruiting.

Always remember that graveyards are full of indispensable people.

TBagpuss

have you asked him directly whether there is anything which you could do to change his mind, acknowledging that you have no power to change the systemic issues in the company?
The rrality is that yo probably can't change his mind, and that he has decided that it isn't healthy for him to remain. since he was well paid, he may well have been able to save enough that he can afford to chose quality of life over high pay, and it may well not be, or not seem to him to be, 'throwing away his career'. Having a gap in your CV is't the end of the world. It may be that he will move back into a 'professional' role in due course, or it may be that he is happy earning enough to cover essentials. My brother spent several years working in a low level, undemanding role because it paid the bills and gave him the time and mental energy to focus on the things he enjoyed but which didn't pay (he subsequently got an OU degree which gave him the formal qualification he needed to be able to turn those interests into a paying job. People do change careers, too.

sharpe106

As he is already leaving and you need him you have nothing to lose from asking him what it will take to keep him. It might not even be money, might be his own project. Might even be just to be left alone to do his job. If he wants a change in life style maybe offer part time so to give him more time to do what he wants.