A few weeks ago, I read an article about a lender rehiring recently laid off employees. While the headline and sentiment seem odd, these types of events are not as rare as you might think.
The mortgage industry is a ‘small world’, as they say. I’ve seen countless colleagues leave their employers only to eventually boomerang back. And yet, when it’s time for a company and an individual to separate, it’s all too common to see both acting as if they’ll never see each other again.
As a company, when it’s time to part ways with an employee, do it the right way. There are just too many horror stories about layoffs involving cold email notifications, lack of support, and unpaid wages. Each of these employees are people and losing a job is not an easy life event to manage. Not to mention those same employees were likely instrumental in the business’s recent successes. They deserve a face-to-face conversation, smooth benefits transition, and any support you might be able to offer for their next role in the form of recommendations, references, resume assistance, etc. Not only is it the right thing to do, but you might need to rehire this same person in a few years – you never know.
As a professional, if you’re leaving your company for a better opportunity, don’t burn any bridges. In fact, take it a step further and pay it forward. Use your two weeks’ notice to do everything you can to ensure that your work will be smoothly transferred. Ask how you can help the transition. There’s no need to create extra work or stress on the team after you leave; most of them were probably good teammates after all. And you certainly don’t want to leave a bad last impression. After all, whether you’d like to admit it or not, the likelihood of you working for (or with) that company again is much higher than you think. You never know what the future holds but the familiarity on both sides makes you an easy rehire down the road.
The bottom line is that as an industry, we can do better. There are many reputable companies and a lot of great people in our industry, all working toward a common goal. There’s no reason we can’t treat each other the right way in good times AND bad. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s also good business.
Mo Oursler, CMB
Executive Vice President, Mortgage Career Exchange
Mo Oursler is an established mortgage leader who has served in wide range of executive roles in operations, originations, credit risk, capital markets, university training, and leadership development.
For more, visit Mortgage Career Exchange: mortgagecareerexchange.com