I applied for a job that seemed to suit me down to the ground. I was delighted to be offered the role a few weeks ago. I haven’t begun but have already been informed several people who had been integral in hiring me have resigned. There had been no hint of this during the hiring process.
This worries me. It almost feels like there’s a secret I’m not being told. I’m also anxious that these are the people who decided to take a chance on me and now all of them are about to leave. Am I fussing over nothing?
This would have been a shock and I don’t blame you for feeling like you’re suddenly on unsteady ground. One resignation would have been surprising enough. More than one is quite extraordinary.
I think there’s a fair chance that you’ll arrive on day one and, within a few hours, get the debrief you crave. But it does seem odd that nobody has given you a call or sent an email with even the start of a clarification.
Let’s assume for now that you get the strong sense very early on that no explanation will be forthcoming. If that’s the case, there are probably two main ways to approach this.
The first is to demand an explanation – ask the questions to get the answers you deserve. And you do deserve them. Much of your experience with this organisation has involved people who are now about to leave. That’s not something you or your employer can wave away as inconsequential.
If this isn’t a delicate matter, what I hope you discover is that the lack of information is a mere oversight.
The problem with this tack is that there are many different reasons why someone might leave employment. Some of them are personal and may be painful – they might involve the kind of details we all have the right to keep private.
So coming in all guns blazing is risky. It might get you to the bottom of this mystery sooner, but if the reasons turn out to be complex or sensitive – if the HR team was being sensibly restrained – you might come across as inconsiderate.
The second option is to use the next couple of days to observe. Keep an eye and an ear out for how others are dealing with or talking about the colleagues in question? Is it all sympathetic whispers and careful tiptoeing? Or is the atmosphere more breezy than that?
If it’s the former, you may need to be patient. Those in charge of internal communication might just need more time to make sure the proverbial Is and Ts are dotted and crossed. If it’s the latter, perhaps you can progress to a gentle enquiry.
If this isn’t a delicate matter, what I hope you discover is that the lack of information is a mere oversight. That you’re not being left in the dark for any sinister reason, but because you’ve slipped through an administrative crack. That’s really annoying – and you should expect better – but on its own it isn’t a major employer misdeed.
As you wait with trepidation for your first day, I know that might sound overly optimistic.
Any resignation, unless there’s a very particular reason for it, raises questions about an organisation – its desirability, its culture, its ability to meet the expectations of its employees. And if those questions don’t have obvious and satisfactory answers, watching others quit can become disconcerting. More than one in a short timeframe naturally exacerbates that anxiety.
So, no, you’re not fussing unnecessarily. You have every reason to hold doubts where once there was enthusiasm. And if you were (as you imply in your email) expecting one or more of these people to act as your advocate or mentor in the crucial first few months of your employment, I can see how you might feel abandoned.
But my final piece of advice would be not to despair just yet.
There may be an explanation for these departures that has nothing to do with the quality of your new workplace. It may even involve a plan to make sure you’re not left adrift. And even if the rationale behind these resignations turns out to be a little bit unsettling, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve been sold a dud.
Try to put worst-case scenarios out of your mind for now. And when you know more, please let us know.
Jonathan Rivett is a writer based in Melbourne. He’s written about workplace culture and careers for more than a decade.