Employees always want freedom, and want to have a job rotation to have a learning exposure within the environment. They are increasingly becoming common, but sometimes you might need to question on whether it’s the right move.
There are some things you might want to factor into consideration
Team culture and dynamics
Will the new entrant be a good fit with the current culture of the team? Is the transfer happening because the employee is not performing in one aspect and is requesting for a transfer to explore other areas to excel in. Is the employee requesting a transfer a quitter because he defines himself not suitable for the role or does he have a thirst for knowledge?
These can be uncovered through the current team mates of the person requesting the transfer. It will help you assess his personality and work ethics.
If he is requesting for a transfer because the employee do not feel like he is performing in his current role, more training and adequate exchange of information and feedback could be used instead of a transfer.
Current problems in the current team
Understanding the fundamental reason for the request of transfer is important – especially if you understand it is because of the person they are reporting to. Talking to their peers could also give you a hint with regards to why the request for transfer is happening.
You might want to nip the problem in the bud rather than risk a lot more request for transfers or an increasing in resignation rate.
Conduct Interviews
You will want to ensure that the person work ethics and mindset is like the team before transferring the person to the team. You will want to have a better understanding of the motivational forces behind the transfer, and understand the person’s strengths and weakness would make a good fit for the team – hence you will want to treat the current employee like an external candidate.
You will want to know how have the current employee performed, and to have a proper justification of how are they able to value add to the team. Managers would also want to understand how the person have contributed to his current team, before deciding on accepting him into the team. If the potential employee is really keen on the transfer, the employee should have done adequate homework before attending the interview.
You could also consult the managers the employee is interested in joining. The manger, should also feel potential and to ensure good team synergy between the team members as well as the new entrant.