My best employee quit
I really need advices to face this.
Edit 3: some body advice that I should mention I am not in US and English is not my first language. I may say something which mean 1 thing in my imagination and mean other thing when English speakers read it. End of edit 3.
I have been a manager for 1 year. It's the first time I am in this position in a business too.
I have fired 3 people this year. It's not a nice experience but it have to be done. There were also a small number of employees that quit which doesn't make me feel as bad.
But last week, my best employee announced he quit. Not right away. He would stay about one more month, because his work to pass for anyone else is enormous, and he is a very responsible person. I didn't think that I'll be this heart broken, but after the weekend, I found out that I'm devastated.
He didn't share the reason. He said it's not the salary (which is almost highest in the company, just below me), it's not the job, or anything else but his personal issues, which he needs time and efforts to focus on at this period.
HR worried that his leaving will cause others leaving too, as he was mentor of our best team. I don't know what to do next. Right now I just see the enormous workload and hugh bunch of problems waiting for me at the office.
Our business is a combination of art and entertainment. Yes these people are talented but emotional. (Me as well, even when I'm the manager).
EDIT
As too many asked or assumed wrong, I'm lazy to answer all. So I would like to give more information here to clarify some details.
3 people I fired this year were in probation. They didn't fit and fail their 2 months trial. Their leaders reported they made their work difficult. So I had to let them go. All their roles are replaced by new hired. We actually hire more than 6 people this year. All of these 3 are not in his team anyway.
3 people that quit: one didn't like teamwork and come back to be a solo successful freelancer she always be, still friend with me. One got married and move to another city. One didn't share her personal problem, but "spies" told me that she stays at home to work on her health. All personal problems. It happened guys, artists change their mind. I myself quit jobs before just to stay at home for a few months (one time it's years).
With that said, at first, when he said that I kinda... support him... I thought that I would never dig if someone doesn't share (he wasn't a social person, the one thing every one in the company has complaint about him, even when they love him). And I thought of course, if someone have problems, their home, their relationships... they should have their own time to deal with it. At that moment I thought it's so legit. I didn't know I will become so sad a few days after. But if it's me who had personal problems, no job can hold me back.
He is so treasured in this place and he knew it. When everyone complaint that he is so not social, my boss said that it's his choice. He got a raise recently. We never asked him to do anything against his nature. I always asked him if he needs help. He reviewed me twice to the HR that I am a good manager and it's ok to work with me. I heard stories from his previous co-workers (from other companies) that if he doesn't like them or the job, he spoke loudly about that. So I'm confident I'm not the reason here. (Saying that, I realize why I am not hurt when people assume that case, because it can not be true).
May be he doesn't hate me. But yes I am not good enough. I tried to hire him an assistant three time. One fail to fit the quality he needed (moved them to another department to train, not everyone is fired for 1 time not fit). One, other company took them with better offer before they even start here. Trying to hire the next one but no success yet. We also tried to hire "some one like him" to duplicate his team before, but fail to find, because his profession is so rare in the area. I myself are training one to try to help him. But it's not something to learn overnight (or even month).
Many of you asked, what do I wish to be adviced about. Some gave really good advises (about management), thank you, I will try. But many of you are right, I mainly just wish to have some emotional support. I like the guy as a friend too. In my job, it's so rare to find people with same passion, closed mindset or world view. And as a private person he is right now, I wonder if I can find him around again.
Second Edit.
I am wowed at how much of you think it's me who is a bad one. So I reached out to HR to share. And she said she did interview him in private for leaving, he did not only give me good reviews, he actually said that my management did make his work easier, many times, and confirmed again that it's his private reason. So I did appreciate your comments, but I love the fact he shared. Our good experiences working together is not only my imagination.
As some of you suggested, it happened too. My boss gave him unpaid leave for whatever he needs to do. We changed it to he leaved immediately (I don't want he have to postpone his issue anymore) and come back in a month or two. And he accept. He looks so relief after that decision made. My boss is nice too as he would do the replacement himself for one third of the guy works (as I shared, his profession can only be done by very few people in the area, that including my boss and me). The guy also did his best preparing the work for everyone in his team in the next month and continue some work he could do online with pay. So with this picture I really hope he will come back, as he seems still love the work. I will update here if he does come back, not like anyone care.
I then found out some info can-be-the-reason from other employee. But it was very personal so I won't share it here. It may not be the truth as I can not confirm it with the guy.
Again, for some of you who not jumping to conclusion and gave great advices about what I can do next with people who stay and his team specially: I appreciated them so much and took notes. I would try some of those activities to improve the situation. Thank you.
I will also delete many of my comments now if it repeated my edits information. I was emotional at the time 😂 So I did it just to let it out. Due to the events I mentioned above, I feel better now, (not that anyone care ☺