By now, you’ve probably seen (or at least heard about) Marina Shifrin’s viral “quit-eo,” in which she announces her plans to depart her job at a Taiwanese video animating company via homemade dance video – filmed at 4:30 am in her soon-to-be-former, cubicle-filled office:
Not to be outdone, her employer, Next Media Animation, came out with a hilarious video of its own – featuring a few good-natured employees and the head of the company. Their message? Good luck to you, Marina – and oh, by the way, we’re hiring:
It was a brilliant response to what could have been a company’s worst nightmare – a disgruntled employee going internationally viral to resign on a worldwide stage.
Could it happen to you? Maybe. But even if you never find yourself with the spotlight shining quite so brightly on your company, there are valuable takeaways to be had for all employers as a result of this clever social media volley:
1. Review the facts first: Before you dust off that video camera, or fire off a pithy tweet, or post a message on your company blog about a well-publicized employee departure, make sure you have the facts of the separation straight.
If, for whatever reason, litigation seems likely, or even possible, it’s best to talk to the lawyers first – before you call in the lighting crew.
2. Consider your options: As hard as it may seem to believe, an employee who displays the sort of creativity and initiative displayed by Marina Shifrin – even at company expense – may be exactly the sort of person you want to keep on your team.
Unless the employee has really crossed a line (see #3 below), consider viewing the “quit-eo” as an invitation to see what it would take to get the employee to stay rather than an irrevocable resignation.
3. Weigh the merits of responding – and not responding: Depending on what the employee says about your company, in what manner, and to what audience, a public response may be in order – or not. If the employee reveals company secrets, or publicly defames your good reputation, the most appropriate response may be a lawsuit.
4. Decide what to say when the issue comes up: Even if you decide, as an organization, not to fight social media with social media, it’s likely that current and prospective employees will have questions and comments for you. Decide, in advance, how you’re going to handle these.
You don’t want one department talking about how funny that former employee was, and another refusing, tight-lipped, to discuss the matter.
5. Stay true to your organization’s culture: Next Media Animation’s irreverent, creative video response to Shifrin’s quit-eo was a good fit for a video animation company. It would not have worked as well for, say, a life insurance firm.
Remember that you are responsible for setting the tone of any response you make to a departing employee’s social media blast; you do not have to (and, indeed, should not) blindly mirror the feel of what the employee has done.