What to do when an employee quits: replacing them fast

First day

Stay calm and make a plan

When someone resigns, the first hours matter. Thank the person, confirm the last working day, and then make a short plan. Do not let the news sit for a week.

Confirm the dates
Note the resignation date and the last working day in writing, so everyone is clear.
List what only they do
Write down the tasks, customers and passwords that depend on this one person.
Start the search
Do not wait for the last day. Begin the job description and the search this week.

Meanwhile

Keep the work going

The work does not stop because the person is leaving. Decide who covers what, and say it out loud to your team.

Give every urgent task a named owner for the gap.
Pause tasks that can safely wait, and tell the people affected.
Ask the leaving employee to write handover notes: daily tasks, contacts, files and how things are done.
Move important customers or accounts to a colleague before the last day.
Keep the last weeks respectful. A good goodbye leaves the door open.

Learn

Learn from the exit

A short, friendly conversation can tell you a lot. You are not trying to argue or defend. You are listening.

Why did you decide to move on?
What parts of the job did you enjoy, and what parts were hard?
Was anything unclear about the role, the hours or the pay when you started?
What should the next person know in the first month?
What would you change if you were running this team?

If pay was part of the reason, it is worth checking the range for the role before you hire again. See how to set a salary for a role.

Rewrite

Write a fresh job description

Do not copy the old job description. Look at what the person actually did over the last year and write the role as it is now. Cut tasks that no longer matter and add the ones that crept in.

Keep it short: the role, the main tasks, two or three must-have skills, the place, the hours and the pay range. Then you can paste it straight into a search by job description.

Avoid

Do this instead

Avoid
Copying the old description word for word
Do this instead
Rewrite it from what the work really needs today.
Avoid
Looking for a copy of the person who left
Do this instead
Look for the skills the job needs, even if the background differs.
Avoid
A long list of requirements
Do this instead
Two or three must-haves. Teach the rest.

Find the replacement fast

Start with candidates who live near your workplace. They find the commute easy and are more likely to stay. See hiring by Mumbai locality and how to search a resume database.

Move quickly: shortlist more names than you need, call them on the same day, and ask a few short questions. Our guide on first phone call questions can help. If time is very tight, follow the day-by-day plan in how to fill an urgent vacancy.

Search with the new job description, not the old one.
Read the resume before you shortlist.
Check expected pay against your range before you call.
Keep notes on every call so you can compare people fairly.

Handover

Make the handover work

If the new person can join before the old one leaves, even for a few days, use that time well. If not, lean on the notes.

Let the leaving employee walk the new person through a normal day.
Share the handover notes on day one, and fix any gaps together.
Introduce the new person to the key customers, vendors and colleagues.
Plan the first week so the new person is not left alone.

A ready plan helps: use the first-week onboarding checklist and keep the offer clear with offer letter basics.

FAQ

Common questions

Should I start looking for a replacement before the person leaves?

Yes, if you can. Once the resignation is confirmed, start the job description and the search straight away. If the new person can meet the old one, even for a day or two, the handover is much easier.

Should I try to make the person stay?

That is your call. If you want to try, do it in the first conversation and decide quickly. Keep the replacement plan running quietly in the background until the person has truly decided to stay.

Do I need a new job description or can I reuse the old one?

Take a fresh look. The old job description may not match what the work has become. Ask what the role really needs today, then write it down in plain words.

What if the replacement cannot join before the old employee leaves?

Then the handover notes matter even more. Ask the leaving employee to write down the daily tasks, the contacts and where things are kept, so the new person can pick up from day one.

Search Resumes

What to do when an employee quits: replacing them fast

First day

Stay calm and make a plan

When someone resigns, the first hours matter. Thank the person, confirm the last working day, and then make a short plan. Do not let the news sit for a week.

Confirm the dates
Note the resignation date and the last working day in writing, so everyone is clear.
List what only they do
Write down the tasks, customers and passwords that depend on this one person.
Start the search
Do not wait for the last day. Begin the job description and the search this week.

Meanwhile

Keep the work going

The work does not stop because the person is leaving. Decide who covers what, and say it out loud to your team.

Give every urgent task a named owner for the gap.
Pause tasks that can safely wait, and tell the people affected.
Ask the leaving employee to write handover notes: daily tasks, contacts, files and how things are done.
Move important customers or accounts to a colleague before the last day.
Keep the last weeks respectful. A good goodbye leaves the door open.

Learn

Learn from the exit

A short, friendly conversation can tell you a lot. You are not trying to argue or defend. You are listening.

Why did you decide to move on?
What parts of the job did you enjoy, and what parts were hard?
Was anything unclear about the role, the hours or the pay when you started?
What should the next person know in the first month?
What would you change if you were running this team?

If pay was part of the reason, it is worth checking the range for the role before you hire again. See how to set a salary for a role.

Rewrite

Write a fresh job description

Do not copy the old job description. Look at what the person actually did over the last year and write the role as it is now. Cut tasks that no longer matter and add the ones that crept in.

Keep it short: the role, the main tasks, two or three must-have skills, the place, the hours and the pay range. Then you can paste it straight into a search by job description.

Avoid

Do this instead

Avoid
Copying the old description word for word
Do this instead
Rewrite it from what the work really needs today.
Avoid
Looking for a copy of the person who left
Do this instead
Look for the skills the job needs, even if the background differs.
Avoid
A long list of requirements
Do this instead
Two or three must-haves. Teach the rest.

Find the replacement fast

Start with candidates who live near your workplace. They find the commute easy and are more likely to stay. See hiring by Mumbai locality and how to search a resume database.

Search with the new job description, not the old one.
Read the resume before you shortlist.
Check expected pay against your range before you call.
Keep notes on every call so you can compare people fairly.

Handover

Make the handover work

If the new person can join before the old one leaves, even for a few days, use that time well. If not, lean on the notes.

Let the leaving employee walk the new person through a normal day.
Share the handover notes on day one, and fix any gaps together.
Introduce the new person to the key customers, vendors and colleagues.
Plan the first week so the new person is not left alone.

A ready plan helps: use the first-week onboarding checklist and keep the offer clear with offer letter basics.

FAQ

Common questions

Should I start looking for a replacement before the person leaves?

Yes, if you can. Once the resignation is confirmed, start the job description and the search straight away. If the new person can meet the old one, even for a day or two, the handover is much easier.

Should I try to make the person stay?

That is your call. If you want to try, do it in the first conversation and decide quickly. Keep the replacement plan running quietly in the background until the person has truly decided to stay.

Do I need a new job description or can I reuse the old one?

Take a fresh look. The old job description may not match what the work has become. Ask what the role really needs today, then write it down in plain words.

What if the replacement cannot join before the old employee leaves?

Then the handover notes matter even more. Ask the leaving employee to write down the daily tasks, the contacts and where things are kept, so the new person can pick up from day one.

Search Resumes

What to do when an employee quits: replacing them fast

Stay calm and make a plan

Confirm the dates

List what only they do

Start the search

Keep the work going

Learn from the exit

Write a fresh job description

Find the replacement fast

Make the handover work

Common questions

Related reading

What to do when an employee quits: replacing them fast

Stay calm and make a plan

Confirm the dates

List what only they do

Start the search

Keep the work going

Learn from the exit

Write a fresh job description

Find the replacement fast

Make the handover work

Common questions

Related reading