the BeLuThai Chamber of Commerce

Commerce
prospects to find to check your reputation. They can
drive business and talent to (and away from) your
company. Former colleagues may even become future
collaborators: When Joe Chernov, our onetime head
of PR, left BzzAgent in 2009, our relationship shifted
but continued to evolve into shared projects, coauthored
thought pieces, ideation sessions, retweets
and Facebook updates. Where our employeeemployer
relationship allowed for one dimension
of interaction, our corporate alum relationship had
multiple dimensions of interaction and value.
F
Former employees provide
invaluable perspective
They have critical knowledge about your business—
and you—that practically guarantees they’ll always be
beneficial. With the knowledge of your organization’s
vision in hand, they can provide an incredible
external perspective that is sometimes lost within
the confines of an inward-facing company. They can
make introductions to a whole new set of clients.
They can point you toward competitor information
they’re receiving now that they’re on the outside. In
short, their paycheck may not be determined by your
vision anymore, but as part of your network they will
continue to do things that make your vision a reality.
M
Monogamy in corporate America
is dead
We now live in an era where we’re no longer
committed to a single corporate entity for years.
Rather, it’s common—and even expected—that
people will change jobs and switch careers. But
beyond transitions, it’s expected that employees will
take part in extracurricular business activities such
as joining associations or taking part in Meetups or
Hackathons. It’s accepted that an executive may take
time to advise other companies or join a board, roles
that only increase their knowledge and value. Star
employees may collaborate with friends and rivals at
other companies on community building parties or
events, such as Ruby Riots or 1,000 pirates or even
Tech Proms. It’s not just that you’re connected by sixdegrees
(or less), but rather that each connection is
likely another potential collaboration and learning
opportunity.
Now, more than ever, departing employees should
be treated with care and respect. When they leave,
bosses should thank them for their time and their
contributions. In fact, a company’s relationship with
corporate alums should be fostered, beginning at the
moment that you decide to stop working together. It
doesn’t matter who makes that decision. If handled
appropriately, relationships with former employees
can be a source of immense, incredible benefits for
both parties. (To Kristen B.: Early at BzzAgent, you
helped us build a fantastic brand and I don’t know
if I told you that enough. Let me tell you that again!)
Some very smart companies figured out the value of
maintaining connections to former employees long
ago. Open Market—one of Boston’s high flyers in
the late ‘90s—has an alumni group listserv where
people seek advice, share job openings, and create
new relationships. Procter & Gamble famously hosts
a big splashy event for their alumni every year—and
you can’t get in unless you worked at a certain level
at P&G, which makes it all that more exclusive and
special. IBM, too, is known to go to lengths to make
sure its former employees remain fans.
It’s even possible to maintain good relationships
with employees you have to let go. A few years ago,
due to an evolving business model and economic
depression, we had to do a round of layoffs at
BzzAgent. We let go of two fabulous employees—
Aaron C. and David E.—who we then offered
workspace in our office for them to take on their
next career move. Another former employee, Rob T.,
decided he wanted to leave BzzAgent to start his own
company. He now runs ProctorCam, a company that
monitors online test taking, with a dozen employees
inside our offices. Together, we all now “cohabitate”
and have generated infinite points of value through
hallway dialogue and the good-feelings from current
employees understanding how we support our own.
Just a few months ago, another key BzzAgent employee
gave notice. But this time—with the historical
knowledge in hand of nearly 300 employees coming
and going—it was different. First, I congratulated
him on what would likely be an exciting career move
and expressed how much I appreciated everything he
did for us. We then worked together to craft a really
solid transition plan, including to whom, and when
we would announce his departure. And in the time
between his notice and his exit, we didn’t ostracize
him—rather, we worked in unison to achieve the
goals we’d laid out together. Ultimately, we threw
him a party and we bought him a bottle of Vueve
Clicquot to celebrate our appreciation for the value
he provided us. By the time he left, our relationship
may have been stronger than any time during our
previous three years working together.
So to Dave D.: thanks for everything you did for
BzzAgent as our president for three years. I look
forward to working alongside you again in some
endeavor sometime, somewhere—and let’s share
a pint of Brown’s Ale together at our upcoming
BzzAgent alumni party.
An article by Dave Balter from Inc. For more
publications by Inc., please visit www.inc.com
22 volume 1, 2012