It’s a common scenario in the workplace: you stumble upon a colleague’s or subordinate’s resume online on platforms like Dice Career Tools, and questions immediately arise. Is everything alright? Are they considering leaving? Before jumping to conclusions, it’s crucial to understand the various reasons behind such actions and consider the best approach to address potential underlying concerns.
Employees might update their resumes on job boards for numerous reasons that aren’t necessarily tied to immediate job seeking. Perhaps their partner has relocated, prompting them to explore options in a new city. Maybe they are simply gauging their market value, ensuring their skills remain competitive. Or, economic uncertainties might lead them to proactively prepare for potential future job market shifts.
While these scenarios might be benign, the online resume could also signal deeper issues within your team or organization. Ignoring it isn’t an option. The question then becomes: how do you effectively address this situation and understand what, if anything, is amiss?
One approach is fostering open communication through regular, informal check-ins. Implementing initiatives like annual lunches with direct reports and skip-level reports can be invaluable. These aren’t specifically for addressing immediate concerns but serve as consistent touchpoints to gauge overall team sentiment and build stronger employee relations. Scheduling these lunches periodically, perhaps every few weeks, allows for organic conversations and can provide early indications of employee morale and potential issues.
However, for more immediate concerns, waiting for a scheduled lunch might not be ideal. Employee satisfaction surveys are another tool often considered. While they can provide broad insights, they often fall short in uncovering genuine concerns. Employees might be hesitant to provide candid feedback, fearing anonymity might be compromised or repercussions could follow. Surveys can sometimes become exercises in telling management what they want to hear, rather than revealing authentic issues.
In the context of a colleague’s skip-level report, consider the team dynamics. Directly approaching the employee might inadvertently overstep boundaries or create discomfort for their direct manager. Instead, facilitating a conversation between your colleague (the direct manager) and the employee could be more effective. Encouraging your colleague to implement regular one-on-one meetings (O3s) and skip-level meetings can create a more open communication channel within their team, allowing issues to surface naturally.
If a direct approach feels necessary to alleviate your concerns, opt for a casual and friendly interaction. Avoid mentioning the resume directly. Instead, engineer an informal encounter, perhaps in a communal space like the lunch line. Initiate a relaxed conversation starter like, “Hey, you’re on Bob’s team, right? How are things going over there?” This subtle approach can open doors for informal dialogue and potentially reveal underlying issues without making the employee feel cornered or defensive.
Ultimately, understanding the context and choosing the right communication tool is key. Whether it’s leveraging regular check-ins, facilitating open communication within teams, or opting for a subtle direct approach, the goal is to create an environment where employees feel comfortable voicing concerns, contributing to better employee relations and potentially preempting talent loss.
