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HR Party of One is brought to you by BerniePortal.

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You’re casually scrolling through LinkedIn with a coffee in hand,

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liking posts, maybe leaving a comment or two, when—BAM!—you see it: Jake,

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your star project manager, has just updated his LinkedIn to “Open to Work.”

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LinkedIn's ‘Open to Work’ feature allows professionals to signal to recruiters that

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they are open to new job opportunities. It’s a powerful indicator that helps recruiters spot

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potential candidates ready for a change. Here’s how it looks on Jake’s profile. This feature can

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be set to show to everyone, just your network, or specifically recruiters. Even if Jake has

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set it to recruiters-only, if you’re an HR Party of One, you’re likely also your organization’s

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recruiter. So you might be the only one who can see that Jake is “Open to Work”.

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It’s a shock, right? Jake, the go-to guy who’s been nailing every

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project and always finding ways to boost the company’s bottom line, is now potentially looking

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for a new job. Now you’re left wondering: “What does this mean for Jake’s team? Are they unhappy

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too? Is everyone heading for the door?” In this episode, we’re going to break

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down exactly what you should do when you see that “Open to Work” status.

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Let’s get started!

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Stay Calm and Collect Your Thoughts.

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First, take a deep breath, step back, and collect

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your thoughts. It’s totally normal to feel a little shaken.

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Think about why Jake might be exploring new opportunities. Ask yourself:

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Is there something specific that’s changed? Maybe Jake’s been working

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long hours and seems a bit burned out. Is there something you’ve noticed in team

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dynamics? Perhaps there’s been tension in meetings or a recent disagreement.

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When was the last time Jake got a raise?

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Have there been any significant changes at the company recently?

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At this stage, it can be helpful to review Jake’s recent performance reviews, feedback,

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and engagement levels. This will help you understand his situation better, especially

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if you don’t work with him one-on-one. Using BerniePortal’s Performance Management feature,

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you can even analyze Jake’s one-to-one agendas and summaries. These can help

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give you more context into Jake’s role and current engagement levels.

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-Have a One-on-One Conversation.

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After you’ve gathered any information you need, it’s time to address the situation

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directly. This is your opportunity to understand Jake’s perspective

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and find out if there are any issues you can address. If he’s one of your top performers,

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you likely already have a great connection with him– so this conversation shouldn’t be

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difficult. Think of it as a chance to get to the bottom of things and see how you can support him.

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Arrange a private, one-on-one meeting in a comfortable setting. Choose a time and

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place where you can have an uninterrupted, candid conversation. When inviting Jake to the meeting,

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frame it positively. For instance, you can say, “I’d like to chat about your

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current experience and any feedback you might have. Can we schedule some time this week?’

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Imagine you sit down with Jake and start the conversation with:

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“I’ve noticed you’ve updated your LinkedIn status to ‘Open to Work.’

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I wanted to understand what’s going on and how you’re feeling about your role here.”

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Try to avoid making assumptions or jumping to conclusions. Your goal is to listen and

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understand, not to accuse or pressure. By starting the conversation with an open-ended question,

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you’re showing that you’ve noticed the change, but you’re not jumping to conclusions. You’re

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leaving the door open for Jake to share only what he wants to– and keep in mind

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he doesn’t have to share at all! At the end of the day, that’s all up to him.

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Listen Actively and Show Empathy. When Jake responds to your questions,

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the next step is to listen actively and validate his feelings. A top

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performer rarely just wants to leave for no reason. You can show that you’re

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listening and push the conversation forward by saying something like:

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“That’s a valid point. How do you think we can address this?”

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In order to be an active listener, it’s crucial that you do not interrupt Jake

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as he shares his reasons. Allow him to speak freely and use nonverbal cues like

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nodding and maintaining eye contact to show your engagement in the conversation. Active

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listening helps build trust and makes it more likely that Jake will be honest

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with you about his concerns (which is your first step to attempting to resolve them!)

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Once you’ve had your chat with Jake, it’s time to figure out the best course of action. Think

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about what’s best for Jake, his team, and your organization. While some concerns can be resolved,

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others might not have an immediate fix. Let’s break down a few scenarios.

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Scenario 1: The Issue Can’t Be Resolved Immediately (for example, Salary Constraints)

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If Jake’s concerns, like salary, can’t be addressed right now, here’s what you can do:

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Be Transparent: Start by being upfront about the

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situation. It’s important not to make promises you can’t keep. If raises aren’t an option at

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the moment, let Jake know. Say something like: “I understand that salary is a major concern.

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Unfortunately, we’re not able to make adjustments at this moment.”

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Explore Other Solutions: Don’t stop at the problem—look for other ways to

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support Jake’s career growth and show him you’re committed to his development. Say something like:

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“Although we can’t address the salary issue immediately,

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let’s explore other ways to support your career growth. Maybe we could discuss new

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projects, a more flexible schedule, or professional development opportunities.”

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Consider any additional perks or benefits you

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can offer that could help offset the inability to provide a raise.

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Be aware that resolving salary concerns is often critical to employee retention. Despite

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your efforts, Jake might still decide to leave, as salary issues are typically a dealbreaker

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for employees. It’s important to be realistic about this possibility and prepare accordingly.

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Even if immediate changes aren’t possible, establishing a timeline for when salary

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reviews will be revisited can be helpful. Communicate this timeline clearly to Jake:

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"I can’t promise a salary increase right now, but we’re planning to review

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compensation structures in a few months. I’ll keep you informed about any updates."

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Top performers like Jake need to know when salary adjustments might

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be possible and what steps they should take to achieve their salary goals. HR

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Party of One has an episode on Levels Docs. I’ll link it in the description.

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Scenario 2: Jake Wants More Career Growth.

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If Jake mentions he’s looking for more career growth, you can explore options like:

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New Projects or Responsibilities: “What if we gave you a chance to lead the

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new marketing initiative we’ve been discussing? It could be a great opportunity for growth.”

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Training or Professional Development: “Would you be interested in some advanced

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training or attending conferences that align with your career goals? Are there any certifications

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you are interested in getting?” It may be more feasible for your organization to let Jake expense

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an exam fee than it is for you to give him a raise. Let Jake know what you CAN offer him.

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Here’s one way that conversation could go:

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“Hey Jake, I noticed your LinkedIn update

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and wanted to check in. Is there something we should talk about?”

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“Yeah, I’m feeling like I’m not growing as much as I’d like to in this role.”

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“I’m sorry to hear that. Can you tell me more about what kind of growth you’re looking for?”

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“I’d love to take on more leadership responsibilities or work on bigger projects.”

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“Got it. Let’s brainstorm some opportunities for you to tackle new challenges. How about starting

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with a leadership training plan and looking at upcoming projects where you could step up?”

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“That sounds good to me. I’d also like to talk about adjusting my workload a bit.”

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“Absolutely. Let’s work on balancing your workload better. I’ll set up regular check-ins to keep

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things on track. How does that sound?” “Yeah, that works. Thanks for

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being open about this.” “Of course! I’m glad we had this

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conversation. Let’s schedule our next meeting for two weeks from now to see how things are going.”

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Notice how you end the conversation by planning a follow-up? Following up

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is key for retention, which brings us to our next step.

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Scenario 3: Addressing Workload and Team Dynamics Sometimes, an employee’s concerns come from

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feeling overwhelmed by their workload or from issues within the team. Tackling these

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problems directly can significantly affect their job satisfaction and performance.

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Workload Adjustment: Burnout from too much work is a common issue and can lead

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to serious problems like decreased productivity and increased turnover. Here’s how you can help:

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Redistribute Tasks: Look for ways to share the workload or bring in extra help if needed.

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“Would it help if we could shift some of your projects to other

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team members or maybe hire additional support?”

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Help Jake set Priorities: Help him figure out which tasks are most important and which can wait.

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“Let’s prioritize your projects and see if we can extend deadlines on some less urgent ones.”

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Team Building: Team issues, like poor communication or conflicts,

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can also cause employees to want to leave your organization.

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First, find out what’s causing friction within the team and consider ways you

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can help alleviate it. Sometimes, despite all your best efforts to address concerns,

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the “Jake” of your organization might still decide to move on.

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If Jake is open to staying, you’ll want to create a solid retention strategy. This shows you value

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him and are committed to his success. According to best-selling author Daniel Pink, organizations

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must focus on three intrinsic motivators to keep employees engaged: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

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If turnover is an issue at your organization and Jake isn’t the first top performer to

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consider leaving, it’s crucial to evaluate how well your organization supports these

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motivators. Check out our HR Party of One episode on Retention Strategies. I’ll link

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it in the description.