What is one sign your best employee is going to quit?
To help you recognize if your best employee is going to quit, we asked HR leaders and small business owners this question for their best insights. From raising concern if they no longer want to learn to looking out for high performance, there are several signs that may help you recognize if your top employee is getting ready to quit.
Here are eight signs your best employee is going to quit:
- Raise Concern if They No Longer Want to Learn
- Watch For an End to Team Collaboration
- Look Out For a Lack of Commitment to Future Plans
- Have a Conversation if Enthusiasm for the Position is Gone
- Watch For Only the Bare Minimum Being Done
- Be Wary of a Lack of Pushback
- Check in if They Are Less Social With Coworkers
- Look Out For High Performance
Raise Concern if They No Longer Want to Learn
Top performers will seek to learn and elevate their skills. In my experience working in tech, the best employees I have had are always thirsty to upskill and will lean on me to provide them with training outlets and feedback to make them better at coding, programming, etc. When they stop leaning on me, that’s when I know they have moved on and are on their way out the door. I always judge an employee’s satisfaction by how interested they are in growing and learning more, and when they stop being interested in such things I prepare myself for their exit.
Bill Mann, Restore Privacy
Watch For an End to Team Collaboration
A tell-tale sign that a star employee is going to resign is when they slowly become more and more reserved and disinterested in team collaboration. The simple reason behind this is that when an employee starts mentally withdrawing from their professional responsibilities, they also begin to check out emotionally and won’t find the same satisfaction in contributing to combined efforts as before.
Riley Beam, Douglas R. Beam, P.A.
Look Out For a Lack Of Commitment to Future Plans
One of the non-obvious signs of an employee thinking about leaving their job is a significant decrease in engagement when it comes to planning and finding solutions for the future. Even if the person has not yet made a final decision, they will subconsciously avoid making false promises and declarations. They know that the future in this company may not apply to them, so why should they get involved? This can mainly be observed if previously as one of our top employees the person has generated many ideas and was exceptionally involved in planning the company’s development. A noticeable decline in this area may be the first sign that our employee is thinking about quitting.
Leszek Dudkiewicz, passport-photo online
Have a Conversation if Enthusiasm for the Position is Gone
One sign that your best employee is going to quit may be the lack of enthusiasm for the given position. So often, this could be due to being overworked, not feeling valued, or just feeling like a given position no longer serves their best interest. That being said, if your best employee slowly starts to lack enthusiasm and becomes apathetic towards the responsibilities of the position, it may be time to have a conversation with the employee to check in and make sure their needs are taken care of to get them to the top of their game again.
Kate Lipman, embrace Scar Therapy
Watch For Only the Bare Minimum Being Done
The biggest sign that your best employee is quitting is when he’s doing the bare minimum of his work and talking about new side hustles he’s starting. This means that he’s disengaging from work at your company and engaging with his own work. Your best employee should also be the one who typically goes above and beyond in his daily work, so if he’s doing the bare minimum and seems like he’s “phoning it in”, it’s a good sign that he has his sights set elsewhere. If you notice this, immediately have a meeting with him (i.e. a stay interview). Not to chastise him, but to ask him how you as an employer can do better to give him what he needs to succeed at the company.
Tim White, milepro
Be Wary of a Lack of Pushback
When an outspoken, overperforming employee suddenly goes silent, it is a sure sign that this team member is getting ready to leave. When a good employee’s valid concerns are met with apathy, punishment, or false promises, employers send the signal that there is nothing the team member can do to change the environment. Thus, most workers see a job switch as the only avenue for change. Rather than an acceptance of the status quo, a sudden lack of pushback from a normally invested employee is likely a signal that the team member has given up, tuned out, and set their sights on new opportunities elsewhere.
Carly Hill, Virtual Holiday Party
Check in if They Are Less Social With Coworkers
They’re less willing to engage in employee social events. One of the biggest tell-tale signs is when an employee starts distancing him or herself from others in employee social contexts. Whether the employee is no longer enjoying the company of coworkers, or if the pressure of keeping the secret of his or her upcoming departure is becoming too much, it’s typically a great sign of an upcoming departure. I’ve found it’s best to talk one on one with an employee if you notice this happening, to either get a heads up on what’s coming, or to be able to address the issue for the departure ahead of time.
John Jacob, Hoist
Look Out For High Performance
When you see an employee submitting work so high in quality and pace that they’re separating themselves from the pack, it could be a sign that the employee is trying to land another job elsewhere. It could be that person wants to work at a larger company or firm. It could be that the employee is sprucing up their portfolio to make their candidacy more attractive for another employer. In any case, you shouldn’t stand in that person’s way. Relish the employee’s high performance while you still can – and help make their exit a smooth one. Take solace in knowing you helped that person’s rise. There’s a good chance the employee will realize that, too.
Trevor Ford, Yotta
