There are times when you start new job prior to the exit of the current employee. Effective transitions between old and new employees can be challenging, especially when the exiting employee is responsible for training you. This can be a very smooth process when parameters and expectations are set between all parties. It is vital that managers set clear training standards and are involved throughout the process so both you and the exiting employee feel supported during the transition. Without leadership, communications break down and other challenges may arise.
Quick Story
I was recruited for a job as a replacement for an employee who seemed eager to move on. During the interview process, everything seemed positive, and I decided to give this new opportunity a try despite some hesitations about leaving my current job. I quickly got involved, meeting the team, stakeholders, and taking charge of various projects. However, within the first few weeks, I began to notice suspicious behavior. Onboarding meetings were canceled, and most interactions were limited to video conferences, even though hands-on training was necessary.
The promises of connecting me with the right people for training turned out to be empty, and the person who was supposed to train me seemed too busy and overwhelmed to provide any guidance. Some of my colleagues warned me about the previous employee’s role and the person training me, which raised my concerns even more. I approached my supposed leader, but despite their assurances, nothing changed. Instead, I faced gaslighting when I brought up my lack of training, as if it was my responsibility to train myself.
As time went on, I discovered that the person leaving had a pattern of creating an illusion of indispensability while secretly causing challenges within the organization. They made it seem like they were the only ones capable of keeping things running smoothly. Their boss was often absent, unaware of what was truly happening. In reality, this person had been employing the same tactics for four years. They manipulated situations to appear as a hero while hindering the organization’s progress, only to swoop in and save the day later.
To my dismay, the exit date kept getting pushed back, and I realized that the person was behind the delays to cling onto power longer. The boss was oblivious to this manipulation and began making unfounded allegations about me, influenced by the person who wanted to retain control.
In response to the toxic environment, I discreetly started looking for other opportunities and decided to “quietly quit.” Although my colleagues validated my concerns, I knew I had done my best to elevate the role. But in doing so, I exposed their shortcomings, which ultimately made me an adversary in their eyes. I had created an enemy.
Ensuring Successful Transitions
Here are a few things I learn to help other not go through an experience such as this. While many of you will not encounter such an intense experience, it is important to know what to look out for. It will additionally aid in ensuring that the individuals you might eventually lead do not undergo a similar experience.
Having clear timeline will ensure that both of you have enough time to prepare. It is vital to have a definitive start and finish date–not vague moving targets. The exiting employee or manager should schedule time to train you in a timely manner to ensure they have enough time to complete their tasks before leaving.
Next request a copy of all critical processes and procedures so that you can refer to them as needed. This can include written manuals, process maps, and video tutorials. These are called SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures). Many organizations-especially smaller organizations do not have effective processes or procedures written. However, these help cut down on the training needed by the former employee and aids your learning.
Make time to shadow the exiting employee as they perform their job duties. This will give the you an opportunity learn the job tasks firsthand. Asking questions and placing tasks into context is vital for your learning. This should be championed by your manager and the exiting employee should provide a checklist of core procedures you need to learn.
Managers must encourage open and clear communication between the old and new employees. This can help to ensure that the you fully understand the job tasks and expectations and can ask questions as needed.
Finally, be sure to regular follow-up meetings with your manager and be prepared to share a progress report and advocate for the support you believe you need from your manager and the employee who is training you. Leaders should be able to provide feedback and support to during the training process.
Transitions are not always smooth.
There are several challenges that can occur when exiting employees must train you- a new employee:
- Limited time: The exiting employee may have limited time to train you, especially if they have other job tasks to complete before leaving. This can make it challenging for the new employee to learn and understand all the job tasks.
- Communication breakdown: Communication breakdowns can occur when the exiting employee assumes that you have a similar or higher level of knowledge and understanding about the job. It can also occur when no regular meeting schedule is agreed upon and the exiting employee expects you to figure out the questions to ask. This can lead to misunderstandings and confusion, which can impede your training process.
- Lack of context: The exiting employee may have developed specific ways of doing things that are not documented, making it difficult for you to understand the context and rationale behind certain job tasks.
- Information overload: You may be overwhelmed by the volume of information you need to learn in a short period. This can lead to frustration and anxiety, making it difficult for you to learn and retain the information.
- Different learning styles: The exiting employee may have a different learning style from you. This can lead to a mismatch between the training method used and your learning style, making it difficult for you to learn effectively.
- Different personalities: You and the exiting employee may have different personalities, which can impact the training process. For example, the exiting employee may be more assertive, passive, stoic or bubbly than you which can create communication challenges.
- Emotional impact: The exiting employee may have an emotional attachment to their job, making it difficult for them to let go. This can impact your training process and create emotional stress.
- Sabotage: On the extreme end, the exiting employee may have second thoughts about leaving and begin to undermine you. This may take the form of correcting the your work behind your back without informing the you of the error, exacerbating issues without proper context, and fabricating perceptions about your ability, desire, or interest to perform the particular tasks or the entire job. A red flag to consider is if conversations center around vague specifications (i.e. “you are not ready.” without context) versus a checklist of what you have mastered or have yet to master (i.e. You need to learn x, y, and z by exit date).
By understanding these challenges, you can help guide your training process and be alert to red flags. Leaders should support your onboarding and ensure a smooth transition between old and new employees. Leaders should set the tone in regard to communication and expectations for the exiting employee and ensure you have the proper training resources and support. This can help to maintain your productivity and most importantly, your desire to work in that particular work environment.