They are poaching our people. They stole one of our best employees. Such statements are heard periodically. They reflect a misunderstanding of the employee/company relationship. Employees, unless contracted in a way that does not allow departures (or allows them only under certain conditions), are free to work where they want to and leave when they want to. No one “poaches” or “steals” anyone. They might try to recruit an employee, and they might succeed if the person is open to leaving…which is a good reason to be proactive about retaining talent.

There are times when people are more likely to be open to leaving. Here’s an example: An organization selects a new president, and an internal candidate who was not selected leaves to work in another organization. Eventually, some of the employees leave to join her.

When this happens, some people might say the person who left is poaching or stealing employees. This is not correct. Even when a person is being recruited by another company, they could say no. When a person leaves, they do so for a variety of reasons.

Yes, it can be upsetting when employees leave. It may be less painful for a leader to say someone stole their employees versus taking a deep look at why the person left. Even when an exit interview is held, some people who depart can be cautious with what they share. Maybe there is something we could have done differently; maybe not. The key is to treat employees well so they’ll want to stay—and to practice acceptance when they don’t.

A few suggestions:

Stay connected and keep building relationships. Stay close to each person and do not take an employee for granted. When people feel less connected, they are more vulnerable to looking for new opportunities or at least being open to them.

Make skill development part of regular conversations. Research shows that people are far less likely to leave if they feel they are being invested in.

Be aware of times when people are more vulnerable to leaving. For example:

• You are under new ownership, or there has been a merger.
• There are changes in leadership, job duties, strategy, or products.
• Downsizing has happened recently or is about to happen.
• The organization is experiencing poor financial results, causing people to feel vulnerable.
• People are feeling that others are getting projects or promotions they wanted.

Assume when any of these things happen, people will start looking to leave. Also, recruiters will reach out more to see if people are open to leaving.

Support departures with grace. A person most often leaves because they see a better fit for them elsewhere. This can include location. How a person is treated on their way out (assuming they performed well) is as important as how they are welcomed to an organization. You never know; they may want to come back someday, so keep the door open. (Besides, other employees are watching.)

Hold up the mirror. Is there anything to learn from a departure? We are all works in progress. We can all strive to keep getting better.

Every day is a new opportunity to retain talent. Great organizations are built on great workforces. When we treat employees well, and truly support their growth and well-being, they will reciprocate.