The pressure and the intensity of recruitment management means it can be easy to follow the line “he/she was no good anyway; it’s good they’ve gone” - we’ve all said it at some point. Or it can be taken even further, and suddenly the previously lauded and well-rewarded employee becomes the arch-enemy, ungrateful and overrated. It’s a vain attempt to deflect a perceived loss of face, but all it does is make you seem petty and duplicitous.

It is hard, though, losing people when it was you that helped them achieve what they did while they worked for you, and when it was what you did that helped them get their new job or start their own business.

But your staff are highly unlikely to stay with you all their careers. They are going to move on eventually. If an employee wants to leave, all you can do is point out the value of staying and commit to whatever it is you feel is right. But if that doesn’t convince that person to stay, you can only wish them well, genuinely, and be publicly supportive of what they are going to do.

Is it different if someone leaves to set up their own business? I don’t think so. However, in both situations the thorny issue of protecting your business rears its ugly head. You have to respect an individual’s right to practise their trade and develop their career, but draw the line at them stealing what belongs to the previous employer. Going a step further, is it possible for the old employer to own a relationship between consultant and client after a decent period following the end of the employment agreement? It’s this last point where the debate is hottest. It is fairly obvious that if you leave company X and turn up at company Y a week later and try to pick up your business where you left off, you are probably breaking even the weakest contract’s post-termination obligations.

If however the new business owner, or the new hire, was very good at what they did for company X, it is quite likely that their old clients will want to follow them. Do they really have to turn them down? It may also be that the client no longer wants to work with company X anymore. I am sure the answer lies in being reasonable and how soon after the termination the event takes place. All too often, our over-competitive natures take over and company Y becomes the subject of prolonged and wasteful attention.

If however the new business owner, or the new hire, was very good at what they did for company X, it is quite likely that their old clients will want to follow them. Do they really have to turn them down?

There is a lot of movement in our industry so the scenario is common. I once worked for a company that had a clearly defined directive never to diminish the achievements of those who had left. It also had a policy of personal development and careful appraisal. The result was low staff turnover, little distraction and soaring profits.

Good luck to everyone who in this difficult time is starting a business or changing job to try and be the best they can and do the best for their dependents. It’s good to have been a part of other people’s success - but to be honest, I’ve learned the hard way on occasion.

Stefan Ciecierski, regional director, London and the South East, ReThink Group