What It Takes to Make Departing Employees Brand Ambassadors

Earlier this year, I made a new friend while flying on a business trip. He was one of those people where the conversation flowed easily, as we had so many life experiences in common — college age children, global travel, musical interests, career demands. Our time together flew by (pun fully intended).

One memorable aspect of our conversation came while we talked about how our children approached their adult relationships, including college dating. This proud father shared a value that he engrained in his children about the importance of ending relationships in a positive, respectful way .…

Leave them better than you found them.

My initial reaction was an appreciation for how simple and profound it was. My second thought was the hope my daughters would experience, and demonstrate, that level of integrity in their own lives. I thought about the phrase again last week. I was working with a client to define the behaviors they thought would best reflect their company values. One of the participants suggested defining how they wanted people to feel when exiting the firm. In that moment, the “leave them better” phrase sailed back into my consciousness, as this same principle could be applied to the relationship between employer and employee.

Prioritizing Employee Engagement

According to new McKinsey research, employee disengagement and attrition could cost a median-size S&P 500 company between $228 million and $355 million a year in lost productivity. The major sources of employee dissatisfaction and reduced productivity were inadequate compensation, lack of meaningful work, lack of workplace flexibility, lack of career development and non-supportive colleagues at work. Although not directly cited in the research, one could easily hypothesize that these gaps are also related to difficulties in talent attraction and retention.

As a long-time customer, I’ve always been impressed by the people and the culture of Delta Air Lines. They are a case study for resilience, having weathered a global recession, bankruptcy, the tragedies of 9/11 and a global pandemic. Their ability to thrive, not just survive, is directly linked to their CEO, Ed Bastian. He has been steadfast and transparent in his commitment to “people over profits.” Under Ed’s leadership, they make explicit choices to prioritize the needs and safety of their colleagues. In return, they’ve achieved remarkable innovations and profits which they share with their employees. (As an aside, if you’re on a Delta flight, watch their documentary “The Steepest Climb.” It speaks directly to their history of caring for their people during good times and bad.)

What Will it Take to Create Brand Ambassadors?

We know that colleagues regularly exit in pursuit of other opportunities — that’s normal. But when they do depart, we want them to leave saying good things as brand ambassadors. For colleagues to “leave better than we found them” organizations must:

Believe they have a moral obligation to treat people well.
Solicit feedback and genuinely listen.
Build trust by aligning leader’s words and actions.
Care for the whole person, acknowledging that work is only one part of their lives.
Balance organizational and individual needs in decision making and investment planning.
Commit to professional development for all colleagues.
Enable open dialogue about career goals, current capabilities and future aspirations.
Reward leaders who develop and uplift their colleagues.
Encourage colleagues to share and learn from their mistakes.

In most organizations, the data about employee exits is pretty basic, sometimes non-existent. Personally, I find exit data to be quite actionable, as there’s usually gritty honesty in their feedback. Social channels have become the default media outlets for frustrated ex-employees to share their experiences, and the company responses to those posts fall short when their intention is purely damage control.

'Are You Better for Having Worked at Our Company?'

If you want your former colleagues to be authentic brand ambassadors, you’re seeking a positive response to the question, “Are you better for having worked at our company?”

McKinsey estimates firms would save ~$56M annually by addressing six essential elements of disengagement — the same ones that undermine former colleagues from being brand ambassadors.

According to an earlier McKinsey research report, ~40% of those surveyed indicated they were likely to leave their current employers in the next 3-6 months. Over 50% of those contemplating quitting cited either a lack of being valued by their managers or the lack of a sense of belonging in the organization. What a shame.

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