I just received a message from an ex staff, asking for a reference request. This was my response.

It’s funny that the request is coming now, as I was honestly thinking of him just the other day, wondering how he was faring. I didn’t really expect him to keep in touch, if he did it would be uncharacteristic of him. He was a funny character as a staff, a bit of an introvert. I remember him being reliable and hard working.

Contrary to what people say about employers, many of us call a spade a spade. If a staff is good, we can’t help but give credit where credit is due. I am always glad to give references to good staff. I remember being called about another ex-staff by a professional colleague who would be his manager. I told her the staff in question remained one of my best staff and asked her to grab him without thinking twice. I literally told her to get off the phone and hire him quickly.

I have seen my fair share of poor employee exits. The ones that run off immediately after pay day are the most frequent. They feel very sharp with themselves. The ones that abscond feel even sharper. I will never forget one who picked up flash drives we received from a client as gifts for our conference. He dropped the package and somehow disappeared with some of the flash drives, never to be seen again. Wrote a stinker to his manager the next day. Another one disappeared after pay day till we were able to trace from his wife a week later that he was OK. Or the one whose reference request claimed she worked for a year as a project manager when she only interned for 2 months, gave 1 day notice and zapped into thin air. Or the one who was always arriving work at 11am, claiming traffic issues yet lived closest to the office. One exited and kept urging other staff to exit with her. She kept calling to spy on our work, asking for updates daily. Another would consistently breech confidentiality, advise other staff to resign to avoid being fired, even when there was no intention of such. One of the worst was one who in a rage on her exit due to poor performance claimed she miscarried twins on the job. I guess her conscience didn’t let her sleep as she called the following year to claim she miraculously gave birth to a supposedly miscarried baby. By the way 9 out of 10 reach out afterwards. I could write a book, I have indeed seen all sorts.

Anyway, this was supposed to be a happy post, celebrating great staff.

Not every exit is a fight, some staff leave a lasting impression on you. They served well. They exit with dignity. They carry you along. Give adequate notice and as a result, the door is always open. I told Tolu to draft his reference letter and send to us sharp, sharp for it to be treated urgently.

Thank God for good employees. They are a real blessing. Keep doing good and goodness and mercy shall follow you, all the days of your life. Yes o! They deserve prayer and good wishes. Here’s to all the great staff. You know who you are. You are appreciated.