For most businesses, employees are one of, if not the most, expensive assets. As a significant investment in time and money, keeping employees happy in their roles for as long as possible is the ideal way to improve retention and reduce recurring costs. Knowing the signs an employee is about to quit is a handy way to pre-empt problems and improve the budget you spend on fresh hires. Learn how to keep an employee who wants to leave.
Why do good employees quit? Here are five of the clear signs your employee is going to quit:
Sudden Time Off With No Explanation
Employees who start taking random days off outside of their usual patterns may be preparing to leave. Multiple sudden, last-minute holidays are a crucial indicator that your employee may be attending interviews or searching for another job outside their current role.
Less Passion For Long-Term Projects
If you have employees less than enthusiastic about long-term planning, this could be a critical indicator that they don't intend to be around by the time that project is up and running. If you notice previously keen employees avoiding long-term commitment, they may be on their way out.
Changes In Behaviour Or Work Attitude
Employees that suddenly disengage from the workplace, begin avoiding socialisation and are slower, in general, may be detaching themselves from your workplace. Of course, behaviour isn't always caused by looking for greener pastures, but it's a key consideration for attitudes that change overnight.
Lack Of Openness
If you notice an employee seeming disengaged, they may be less likely to talk about it if they are looking for work elsewhere. If someone is evasive about their reasons and seems more closed off and secretive, this may indicate they're heading for a new job elsewhere.
A Drop In Productivity
Reduced productivity happens for any number of reasons. But, paired with no time and consideration into the outcome of projects, this may suggest an employee that's already decided about their future in the business. A careless employee is often a checked-out employee, which indicates they may have another job lined up.
Have you spotted these signs in previous employees? Understanding the key concerns to watch out for is an excellent first step to resolving retention problems. Learning how to keep an employee who wants to leave is an important skill for managers. At PDW Group, we provide management training to boost retention, improve employee satisfaction and keep people in their jobs for longer. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help you.
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