Employee committing Absence without Official Leave is a common problem of employers. This is also a reason why many of them become stricter in screening applicants for a position. Most of them have been thinking mechanisms on how to prevent this from happening after they hire a new employee.
The only problem with employers is their tendency to ignore applicants in times of job scarcity. But when it’s the applicants that’s became scarce, they panic and regret the lost opportunity of considering applicants when there were still a steady supply of them. In reality, when recruiters open and offer a job, there are times when there are really a lot of qualified applicants and the only thing they need to do is to find the best.
Going back to why AWOL happens, there could be a lot of possible reasons why employees do this. One of which involves the recruiters when they let applicants hang for awhile then returns to them desperately only when they have no other choice. This makes the applicant feel bad. So when the sooner they find a better and more preferable option, they’re out immediately.
A simple ‘thank you’ even to rejected applicants as a sign of appreciating their efforts is important. So, when the time comes that you encounter them again and now you need them more than ever, there’s a possibility that they would still be interested and eager to be part of your company because you were able to establish a good impression.
While current employees, especially those who are just starting with their careers, become reluctant and hesitant in their first jobs. So, as the recruiter, you have to be meticulous when interviewing fresh grads and first timers. Those who are not that sure about what they want and what they are doing are commonly the ones who are most likely to do AWOL.
It can also be because of mismanagement, because when employees couldn’t take it anymore, they have no other choice but to find an easy way out. That’s why they tend to do AWOL. That’s why it is important that when you hire, even for part-time positions, you must have a contract that you can hold on to so an employee cannot become MIA otherwise there would be implications. The best solution that you can do is to take on the right process when hiring, filtering and processing the applicants’ documents after you hire them.
Proper communication is important between the management and the employees to make sure there are no misunderstandings or conflicts that will arise at any point of time. This is also a way to be able to handle and deal with things properly as soon as they happen. Employees’ lack of trust to their higher-ups can also push to just go on AWOL and leave everything. Earning their confidence and making them feel that you care about their business and what they are up to is vital if you don’t want them to leave you hanging.
