Employee Posted their Resume: Do you Save them??

I've made it past the 30 day mark on my corporate recruiting job (yay!), and I have been busy with reqs and also learning our new ATS, helping to develop our internship program, and HR stuff. Our locations are global in my company, for one of our local labs,there are 2 employees that have their resume posted on a major career board. I really want to call them and ask them why are they leaving? Should I? I want to talk to my manager about it, because both employees are in the same location. I really want to have a discussion with them about the environment, since I am assuming it is due to an issue with management. Is that something that Corporate Recruiters tend to do? In agency, I did call contractors that were having issues with their environment and try to help with retention.

So do you save them or you stay silenced?

Comment by Dane Anar on May 2, 2013 at 2:00pm: As recruiters, yes, we do have to worry about retention from time to time, but our main goal is to bring people in, not save them from leaving.

It's their manager's job to do prevent them from wanting to explore new opportunities - they may have a very valid reason as to why they're looking or why they're resume is on a major job board, but it's not really any of your business (especially if you've never interacted with them, to which I don't know in this situation). Bring it up to your manager, mention to them that so and so has their resume on x-jobboard.com.

Just my .02.

Comment by Jai Turner on May 2, 2013 at 2:06pm: Thanks Dane! I appreciate your response.

Comment by Derdiver on May 2, 2013 at 2:07pm: A dilemma I know all to well and have seen before. Do you know the people who have posted? You may actually cause more of a problem by reaching out to them if you don't. They could panic or if fired blame you for being involved. Another scenario is they are testing the waters to see what is out there. They could be looking for more money. The contract they are on is winding down etc. People leave companies it is the way of the world. IMO the best course of action is to have a side pool of people that do what they do and be prepared to replace them.

Comment by Jai Turner on May 2, 2013 at 2:17pm: Thanks Derdiver!! Good stuff! :)

Comment by Kelly Blokdijk on May 6, 2013 at 3:58pm: This is not uncommon at all. Unfortunately, I've seen some rather unprofessional behavior directed at existing employees suspected of looking for another job. One particularly nasty exec when as far as contacting another company to tell them not to hire one of their employees.

While there are ways to post resumes online confidentially or anonymously, most regular folks (non-recruiters) probably don't realize how easy it is for them to be found. Either way, I don't see any benefit in bringing it up.

In this day and age, people need to look out for their best interests. If whatever work arrangement they have currently isn't secure, satisfying or solid enough to not keep their options open, then they would be foolish to not test their marketability. Ultimately, it isn't anyone else's place to decide or make assumptions about their motivations to stay or leave.

If it is within the scope of your responsibility to understand the culture, management style and any other factors that might be pertinent to future hires (and/or retention factors), then I recommend inquiring with a broad group of employees to gather opinions in a more general sense. There really is no need to single out these two individuals and raise suspicion.

Hope that helps... ~KB @TalentTalks