A coworker passing away is not only an emotional experience but also a challenging one for companies to navigate, especially when it comes to rehiring for the role and supporting the team through the transition.
Yet many organizations aren’t prepared for the possibility of an employee dying, leaving them unsure of how to respond when it happens.
“The situations that I find the most tragic aren’t just the ones where someone dies unexpectedly or there’s a very sudden loss in an organization, but when the teams themselves are not prepared—that’s when I’ve seen the most mistakes and missteps happen,” says Faith Holloway, a workplace grief consultant.
Here are four steps companies can take to handle the loss of an employee and the hiring process with compassion.
1. Acknowledge the team’s loss
Before making any new hires, have a conversation with the existing team and acknowledge the loss they are facing.
“I think just in general, if you acknowledge it at all, you’re already a step ahead of what most people do,” Holloway says.
This simple yet crucial step can create a more compassionate environment as the team processes the grief and prepares for anyone who might be coming in.
“My main advice is just to have a conversation with the team, or at least people that will be interacting with that new person,” Holloway says, adding that an open conversation is the best way to address any discomfort.
She recommends having this conversation in a private space and providing plenty of time to talk through any feelings that come up.
The leader might say something like, “We’re rehiring for John’s role. I know it’s going to be uncomfortable…. We really loved working with him. It’s a really sad situation for all of us,” Holloway suggests.
Then, segue into something like, “We do have to replace that role because it’s essential to the business, and I want to make sure that we have some time to actually talk through what that means.”
Some topics to consider include ways to ensure the team member who died is remembered and how to make the new person coming in feel comfortable. Holloway also suggests not discarding the belongings of the deceased employee before friends or relatives have had a chance to see them.
“The reaction from the family when they find out that those things have just been dumped in a box somewhere… [and] no one knows where it is or it’s been misplaced, can just be really upsetting for them,” she says.
2. Be transparent with the new hire
When the company begins hiring to fill the position, interviewers should be prepared to speak honestly about why the role is available if asked by candidates, Holloway says. This transparency can help prevent confusion and ensure the new hire feels supported as they step into the role.
“People can feel really blindsided if they’re rehired in that role and not told the situation,” she notes. “Team members can feel really angry at leaders because they don’t feel like they’re leading or going about it in the right way.”
She suggests saying something like, “Unfortunately, the person who was in this role has actually passed away. We know that that’s a pretty untraditional reason for this job to come up. So that may be a bit of a surprise to you.” Then, add some sort of reassurance about what your plan is for your new hire when they step into the role.
3. Provide support to the new hire
Sometimes when you start a new position, you’re able to have a conversation with the person who had the role before you. But since that’s not possible with a deceased employee, it’s important for the manager to be extra patient with the new hire.
“Sometimes there’s a lot of pressure on that person coming in to just kind of swoop in and pick everything up, but [recognize] that it’s a very unique situation, and that some patience and some extra support will go a long way,” Holloway says.
It’s also important to realize that the new employee may approach the role differently than the previous employee did.
“They shouldn’t be considered a replacement of the person who has died, or the role that they’ve taken over,” Holloway explains. “They may have a very different personality, a very different approach to the work.”
While team members may naturally, and accidentally, compare the two, it’s crucial to treat the new hire as an individual. “Sometimes [team members] need a reminder that those comparisons aren’t fair for the person who’s coming in,” Holloway says.
4. Have a plan in place
Holloway says death in a workplace happens more often than you might think, but because it’s uncomfortable to consider, many companies don’t have a plan to address it.
“If you don’t have it covered in your company [policy], it’s something to start thinking about, and not think about when it happens to you, but beforehand. Because when it happens, you won’t be in the right mindset to deal with it. You’ll be reactive. You’ll be stressed about it. You’ll probably be emotional yourself,” she says.
Holloway remembers working with one insurance company that had a full policy in place for how they would address team members and communicate with the family, as well as a list of things to do within the first 24 hours after an employee’s death.
When putting such a policy together, Holloway suggests asking yourself, “What are the things that you may forget? What are the things that you may just gloss over? What are the ways that you want to communicate with the family?”
Having a clear plan in place can ensure that when the unexpected does happen, your company can respond thoughtfully and minimize missteps in an already difficult situation.
Photo from fizkes/Shutterstock.com
