Is Your Employee Planning to Quit?

When employees bail, your business faces a costly recruitment cycle, and the remaining workers are forced to fill a productivity void. Whether you're losing a stellar performer or the office slacker, staff resignations should remind you to make employee engagement and development top priorities. Paying attention to common behavioral changes can help you spot employees who are planning to quit, giving you time to strategize before you receive a resignation letter.

1. Low Employee Engagement

Employees who hate their jobs or work environment often become detached, doing the bare minimum to stay employed while they look for greener pastures. Be equally alert to productive workers who start making smaller contributions or turning down opportunities for more responsibility. A good worker may already have another job lined up, making her less concerned about taking initiative or impressing the boss. However, if poor employee engagement is a widespread problem, it's a sign that your business lacks transparency between management and staff.

2. Change in Appearance

If Casual Chris starts wearing his best suits every day, you may think he's trying to make a better impression on you. Unfortunately, a sudden interest in personal attire is common when an employee is interviewing with other companies. You should also pay attention to workers who abruptly stop making an effort to dress professionally. They may be entering the late stages of low employee engagement or struggling with personal problems, which may eventually lead to resignation.

3. Reserved or Secretive Behavior

A change in attitude, routine or body language can foreshadow plans to quit — especially if employee engagement was never a problem in the past. A worker who is normally friendly and energetic often becomes reserved when parting ways with old colleagues. He may feel guilty about abandoning the team or no longer care about maintaining friendships. Common red flags are short, restrained conversations, a chilly demeanor and withdrawal from social interactions. The employee may also take longer lunches and breaks and behave secretively about his activities without offering any explanation.

4. Poor Communication

Avoidance is a default reaction when someone has a guilty conscious or wants to bypass any conversations that could lead to awkward questions. Employees who feel indebted to mentors or close friends may find it difficult to be upfront about accepting a good job opportunity. Be suspicious if a communicative worker stops speaking to you directly and limits your interaction to short emails, memos or phone calls. Look for signs that the employee is reluctant to answer questions or give feedback, and don't ignore your instincts when all your conversations with your colleague become forced or awkward.

Be prepared to accept a resignation letter with professionalism when employees are determined to move on. However, unconfirmed suspicions should motivate you to seek feedback about your managerial performance and company culture. Show employees they are valued, and ask how you can foster the next stage of their professional development. Investing more time and resources in your workforce may be the catalyst you need to get employee engagement back on track.

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