Turnover happens. It’s part of running a team especially in SaaS, where the pace is relentless and the market shifts constantly.
Sometimes it’s seasonal. Sometimes it’s driven by market conditions. I still think back to 2021 the first year after the Covid vaccines when the job market went wild. People were moving across the country, taking remote roles with massive salaries, and switching industries overnight. It was chaos.
In that storm, even the most loyal, high-performing employees left for new opportunities, new cities, or simply a change of pace.
The point isn’t to dwell on why people leave, it’s to understand what happens after they do.
When a great employee leaves someone who performs, lifts others up, and embodies the culture, the impact can be heavy. The team feels it immediately. Morale drops, routines change, and motivation can take a hit.
Here’s how I’ve learned to approach it:
1. Don’t rush to fill the role immediately.
Give the team space to process. The first week or two after someone leaves is fragile. Acknowledge the loss and keep the team grounded. You don’t need to “rally the troops” just be present.
2. Reassess the actual needs of the team.
You can’t replace that person but you can replace their function. Look at the skills and balance of the team. What did they bring that’s now missing? Sometimes the gap isn’t in hard skills, it’s energy, communication, or organization. Identify that first.
3. Hire for the future, not the past.
Resist the instinct to clone the person who left. Instead, think about where your team needs to grow next. Could a new hire from a different industry bring a fresh perspective? Could a different level or title stretch the team in new ways?
4. Stay adaptable and positive.
You won’t always get it right and that’s okay. Every leader faces turnover. The key is not to take it personally. Expect change. Learn from it. And most importantly, show your team that the mission continues.
When people see you handle departures with composure and optimism, they trust your leadership even more.
Be proud that someone who worked with you moved on to another role. It’s possible they went to a larger company with a much bigger role. Or they found a new career that is their passion. Maybe they started their own business. Maybe they left to take care of a child or a family member. The reason doesn’t always matter. (Unless you were the reason they left, in which case that’s a different story and a different article).
I’ve always had a sense of pride when an employee is able to leave for another role that your current business couldn’t provide for them. Of course it’s upsetting, and sometimes frustrating. Maybe there just wasn’t the budget or the opportunity for them to grow anymore where they were.
You can’t replace great people but you can build teams resilient enough to thrive after they leave. Be proud you were part of their journey.
Robert Statsky 