Staff retiring from your community

[Cedric]

I wanted to start a discussion today about a topic that's near and dear to all of our hearts - staff retiring at our forum. Whether it's because they've moved on to other things, or simply because they're ready for a change, staff retirements can be both bittersweet and challenging for a community.

So, what have your experiences been with staff retiring from your forum? How have you handled it in the past, and what have you learned from those experiences?

Here are a few things to consider:

• Plan ahead: If you have staff members who have indicated that they're considering retirement, start thinking about how you'll handle it early on. This will give you time to find a replacement, train them, and make a smooth transition.
• Be transparent: Let your community know what's happening and why. They'll appreciate the honesty and it will help them understand the change.
• Thank your retiring staff members: They've given their time and energy to help build and maintain your community. Show them your appreciation and let them know how much they'll be missed.
• Ensure a smooth transition: Make sure new staff members are trained and familiar with your community's policies and procedures. This will help minimize disruptions and ensure a smooth transition.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences with staff retirements. How have you handled them in the past, and what advice do you have for others? Let's start a discussion!

 

[Strawberry]

It's always good to be supportive, your staff member is retiring for some reason, so it's important to understand their decision. If they've got a position on another forum, don't be bitter about it, be positive and show them that you're happy for their new venture. If it's a personal reason, let them know that your inbox is always open if they ever want to chat.

Sometimes people just feel like they've outgrown the role and can no longer grow and produce fresh ideas, at this point you should thank them for their time and encourage them to stick around as a valued member of the community.

Some forums also have a Retired Staff group, which I'm on the fence about. I suppose it's a good way to show appreciation for their contributions, but feels unnecessary at the same time.

 

[Cedric]

It's always good to be supportive, your staff member is retiring for some reason, so it's important to understand their decision. If they've got a position on another forum, don't be bitter about it, be positive and show them that you're happy for their new venture. If it's a personal reason, let them know that your inbox is always open if they ever want to chat.

Sometimes people just feel like they've outgrown the role and can no longer grow and produce fresh ideas, at this point you should thank them for their time and encourage them to stick around as a valued member of the community.

Some forums also have a Retired Staff group, which I'm on the fence about. I suppose it's a good way to show appreciation for their contributions, but feels unnecessary at the same time.

I've had a Retired Staff group on most of my forums back in the day. But not here, and I haven't seen them around in a while on other forums too. Maybe we outgrow the group? I would rather put them in a Premium Membership for their contributions. Seems harsh to have a retired staff member who put in a lot of time and effort in a community to just demote to a member without any recognition.

 

[Strawberry]

I've had a Retired Staff group on most of my forums back in the day. But not here, and I haven't seen them around in a while on other forums too. Maybe we outgrow the group? I would rather put them in a Premium Membership for their contributions. Seems harsh to have a retired staff member who put in a lot of time and effort in a community to just demote to a member without any recognition.

Ah I see, I wasn't sure if it was still a thing. I remember back in the IF days, it was usually a coloured + in front of the username to signify someone was Retired Staff or Elite. 😆

I agree with the Premium thing, I think that's a good thing to do.

 

[Cory]

I understand a staff member retiring completely. People can get overwhelmed with other life matters or being a part of too many message boards. If there's a personal issue between the staff member that wants to retire and another staff member, try and resolve the conflict and then see if they want to continue being a staff member of your community.

I've only had two staff members since the creation of my board in 2018, I've been flying solo for most of the duration of my board. I don't mind flying solo because I have the time to handle just about everything I can on the board. It would still be nice to have a couple of staff members to keep activity flowing, but I think I'll manage and the fact that I own a resource board means the resources are the primary focus, not necessarily the general community forums.

If I were desperately in need of more staff members after staff starts retiring I would probably offer some of the more active dedicated members of the community a position. I'm not too interested in staff applications, I'd rather find the members I want to be staff myself. Though, applications could become necessary if no one that I contact shows any interest.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I never had staff retire from my forums, but life does get in the way sometimes. I would make an announcement to the community letting them know that so and so has stepped down. I agree, it's also best to have a plan in mind so that you can fill that position as soon as possible to help the community out.

 

[Kale]

I wish them the best of luck and if they ever want to come back, then they possibly could. I don't hold it against them, and if they did wanna just post as a general user it's fine. Staff always come and go on forums I've found!

I've had staff step down, but never 'retire' as said above.

 

[Arantor]

I think it's commendable to have a 'former staff' group, but I would always be wary of facilitating back-seat discussion there. One of the long-running banes I've seen in a project is where the 'former staff' genuinely feel that in the best interests of the site, the current management should do things differently, and for years it's just been assumed that 'former staff' is just a 'whiner' group.

 

[Kale]

I think it's commendable to have a 'former staff' group, but I would always be wary of facilitating back-seat discussion there. One of the long-running banes I've seen in a project is where the 'former staff' genuinely feel that in the best interests of the site, the current management should do things differently, and for years it's just been assumed that 'former staff' is just a 'whiner' group.

I would not give out this badge or put them in said group till they have been staff for a long while. Maybe 6 months plus? I am all for honoring past staff as long as they contributed in some way and left on good terms.

 

[Cedric]

I would not give out this badge or put them in said group till they have been staff for a long while. Maybe 6 months plus? I am all for honoring past staff as long as they contributed in some way and left on good terms.

Agreed. Staff that hasn't been around for long don't really deserve any recognition imo. That may be harsh to some, but in reality some take on a staff position too easy without wanting to really contribute and just for the heck of the title.

 

[Kale]

Agreed. Staff that hasn't been around for long don't really deserve any recognition imo. That may be harsh to some, but in reality some take on a staff position too easy without wanting to really contribute and just for the heck of the title.

Sadly so, yeah. I've actually seen some incentives on sites I wrote for to stay on to write. It does sometimes keep writers/blog writers on board, but not always. I did a journalist training program online,, but come time to do like a guide or so I always just was not the best at that. If I did complete and go through it fully I could have been offered a role for this site or perhaps given a reference too. I am more of an op-ed / news writer than going anything, tbh.

 

[Reverie]

I definitely like the retired staff group because it's great to recognize who used to be staff on a forum. If they did not contribute much to the community while they were staff that is a questionable time if you should give them the retired staff title.

I have also seen where a forum had a retired staff group - then a new owner took over and emptied the group. It kind of erases the history, but at this point perhaps too many people were in the group. -shrugs- So my suggestion is if you do have a retired group, you keep it forever. No one wants their group taken from them.