{"id":5019,"date":"2021-03-11T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-11T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sonusbenefits.com\/you-should-nurture-relationships-with-past-employees\/"},"modified":"2021-03-11T11:28:04","modified_gmt":"2021-03-11T11:28:04","slug":"you-should-nurture-relationships-with-past-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonusbenefits.com\/you-should-nurture-relationships-with-past-employees\/","title":{"rendered":"You Should Nurture Relationships with Past Employees"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s a fact that losing good employees is a major pain point for business owners. Not only is it hard (and expensive) to replace a quality employee, but replacing institutional knowledge, relationships, and experience takes a lot of time. But this doesn’t mean employers should avoid thinking about or preparing for the eventual departure of an employee. In fact, employee alumni networks and strong networking communities comprised of ex-employees may make the next step of hiring much, much easier.<\/p>\n

While onboarding programs are all the rage among HR professionals and business leaders, it’s sadly common for employees to leave a company in a very different manner. New employees are greeted with training, communication, and team engagement, but an employee leaving a company may be met with an exit interview, a pat on the back, or in some cases, outright hostility, resentment, scrambling and confusion on behalf of their managers.<\/p>\n

But this doesn’t make sense for both the business and the departing employee. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average job retention rate in the United States consistently hovers at around four years<\/a>. In fact, business professionals have been noted to advise against<\/em> staying in a job<\/a> for too long to avoid damaging your career. <\/span><\/span><\/span>So why do exiting employees so often get ignored or treated poorly?<\/p>\n

The short answer? A lack of foresight. Previous employees can have a dramatic impact on a business even after they leave. They may come back in the form of clients, business referrals, vendors, brand ambassadors, and boomerang employees. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>The fact of the matter is that employees are almost never<\/em> going to stay with your company for their entire career, so it makes sense for organizations to prepare—well in advance—for their eventual departure and subsequent post-departure impact on the business.<\/p>\n

But how do you nurture relationships with previous employees?<\/p>\n

Corporate alumni programs<\/span><\/h3>\n

These programs<\/a> are popular among corporate industries, including legal, consulting, and financial services. They are designed to create a network<\/a> for former employees to stay connected with their old colleagues and organizations, providing a space for them to continue growing and nurturing their relationships long-term.<\/p>\n

According to a report by Conenza Inc. in conjunction with Cornell University, there are four main motivations<\/a> people have for joining alumni programs:<\/p>\n