Absconding workers can be a huge menace as they set a bad precedence, cripple your workflow, and pile immense pressure on the rest of your staff. Businesses around the globe are hit hard every year, with workers walking out the door one day, never to be heard from again as if having vanished into thin air. With cases of employees ghosting their companies fast on the rise in 2022, you may be at crossroads about how to deal with absconding employees / staff. To that end, we’ve rounded up a few vital pointers, including how an employee trust score platform can come to your rescue, to deal with such cases & prevent workflow disruptions.
1. Don’t be quick to jump to conclusions
Indeed, many absconding employees do so as a means of escapism. Perhaps, they feel trapped in their day to day, are struggling with mental issues, or just feel like the walls are closing in and they need to get away from all the pressure. Other times it could be a far grave situation that sends them missing. Maybe the sudden demise of a loved one, the shocking discovery of a terminal disease, the repossession of their home due to mortgage, etc.
So, before you take any drastic measures, be sure to first:
- Call to find out if absconding employees are in any sort of trouble
- Ask around from co-workers on the challenges the staff may be battling
- All in all, give your employee the benefit of the doubt
- Find out the reason for the sudden absence
Sometimes, such misunderstandings can simply be cleared up with a simple phone call and some time off. However, if consistent attempts at communication keep hitting dead ends, you can be sure that it was a willful act and you can now take action using an employee trust score checker.
2. Flag down absconding employees on TRST Score
Now that you’ve established the absconding employee did so willingly, what happens next? Well, put plainly, it’s time for them to face the music. One way you could do that is through TRST Score, one of the best online background check companies. Via this platform, you can:
- Give the absconding staff a poor rating
- Offer detailed reasons for the score
- Give other companies the heads up
Once you do that, potential employers will likely avoid the employee like the plague. No one would want to put up with rogue employees who pose flight risks, and it’s a firm way to show your hand and to also demonstrate to other staff that their actions have consequences.
But don’t just stop there. Take legal action if possible. Did your employee sign a contract and their unannounced absence has caused breaches? You have plausible grounds to take your staff to court, to make an example of him, and to also recoup damages. If not, it’s prudent to start including comprehensive exit clauses and conditions for new hires going forward.
3. Incorporate trust score checks into your hiring processes
Do you carry out background checks on potential hires? Recent findings revealed some startling statistics, as it emerged that 28% of employers don’t perform BGVs of any kind. Essentially, you’re welcoming a stranger to the inner fold, perhaps giving them remote access to sensitive information and yet have no clue about the kind of person you have on your hands.
While some companies skip employee background screening services to save costs or due to the menial nature of a role, they remain gravely important all the same.
One great option you could use is TRST Score, a staff trust score platform that also doubles up as a go-to for top-drawer pre-employment background check services. With TRST Score, you can:
- Access specific employee data via the worker’s ADHAAR card number
- Perform up to 15 different background checks, including work history verification
- Liaise with the candidate’s previous employer to learn more
TRST Score enables you to spot unethical employees with a pattern of abandonment and only pick out those who are dependable.
4. Always have a contingency plan in place just in case
There’s no telling when an employee may decide to call it quits and up and leave without notice. So, it’s best to have a contingency plan in place for good measure, especially for high-priority roles in the hierarchy, which can cause massive ripples down the chain.
A multi-tasked team with rotatory roles serves as an excellent backup. This means that team members should shuffle duties and swap positions periodically so that any one of them can buckle in and fill the sudden void an absconding worker leaves behind. Not only that but this will also ensure you keep your workflow moving in case of formal absences such as sick offs, leave days, etc.
Beyond that, your backup plan could also entail having ready access to a fresh pool of talent on TRST Score. This trust scoring platform gives your business access to fresh graduates and interns who can hold down the fort and eventually move into a permanent role if everything works out.
5. Self-assess to correct any instigating factors from within
If you notice a pattern of employee absconding starting to build up at your workplace, there could be more to it than meets the eye and it’s time to investigate. Some common reasons why staff abscond duty include:
- Broken promises made during recruitment
- A hostile work environment created by unethical employees
- Constant conflicts with unreasonable supervisors
- Uneven distribution of the workload
- Overlooking hard workers for promotions over newbies
- Extremely tight deadlines
If it turns out that you made promises upon offering the job, be sure to hold up your end of the bargain. More importantly, don’t make promises you can’t keep. Overall, you’ll want to perform an audit, perhaps assemble a small team of internal investigators, to establish the root cause. Get a feel of what employees are saying about their job, if there are happy about their roles, and what recommendations they have to offer.
Prevent absconding workers with TRST Score today!
Tired of workers ghosting your business, leaving your productivity on its knees? Don’t want to experience sleepless nights and uncertainties, not sure what absconding employees took on their way out and the risks they left behind? TRST Score (Trust Score) is your best bet. In addition to professional background check services to ensure you only get reliable hires, TRST Score has the potential to reduce absconding employee cases by up to 95%. Sign up today- it’s free.