Telltale Signs Your Employee Wants to Quit….And What To Do About It

by Jayne Ronayne, CEO KonnectAgain

Employees are the greatest human resource a company possesses. Customers keep the business alive by ensuring there is a demand for a business’ goods or services.

However, employees are the thread that holds all aspects of a business together. Good leaders pay close attention to the needs and actions of their employees. All employees, regardless of the type of organization in which they work, give subtle hints about their desire to leave an organization. As a leader in your organization, you must pay keen attention to these warning signs. Being oblivious to them could mean the loss of a truly valuable employee. This article highlights 3 of the most noticeable signs an employee wants to quit and what you can do about them.

1 – A Dip in Productivity  
Changes in an individual’s attitude to work is often a clear sign he or she is about to abandon ship. Someone who is usually dependable, on time, and able to get things done, doesn’t suddenly become consistently tardy and unable to deliver the quality of work expected. It’s a red flag! There could be personal issues consuming the individual’s thoughts. Other job opportunities may also be on the horizon.
What should you do?
Have a conversation with the person. It isn’t about making accusations and belittling the individual. Begin the conversation by explaining that you’ve observed a change in the person’s behavior. Ask the person to express any concerns so that you can help rectify any issues in your control. If it’s a personal issue that requires some time away from work, be reasonable and give the person as much time as possible. Employees need to know that you are willing to hear and address their concerns. A simple conversation of this nature can convince a wavering employee that your company is the place to be.
Additionally, you should ensure that you haven’t given the person unrealistic goals to meet. If the pressure is too great, productivity will drop and people will leave. Ensure that your expectations coincide with your organization’s reality.

2 – Work Friends Are Leaving
We are naturally social beings. It is, therefore, customary for work colleagues to develop platonic friendships. A work friend helps workers enjoy coming to work. It can even make them more productive and creative. So, when one member of that friendship group leaves, it isn’t unreasonable to assume that others in the group may also want to leave.  In fact, the employee who left may try to convince the friends who remain to secure positions at his or her new workplace.
What should you do?
Ensure that you offer an attractive benefits and incentives package. The package should be so attractive that employees don’t believe they can find it anywhere else. Additionally, try your best to make the work environment fun and exciting. Create a space where people want to come to work. Working in such an environment makes it very hard to leave.

3 – Reduced Interaction
Loyal employees want to do all they can to help their company succeed. They give input, participate in workplace activities, and tend to be vocal in staff meetings. Any change in this behavior is a warning sign that something is wrong.
What should you do?
Again, initiating a conversation with the employee is important. Use this conversation to find out if anything is wrong and what you can do to help the employee feel more comfortable. Also, make attempts to show more appreciation to this employee. Reduced involvement could also be the result of feeling unappreciated.

An organization shouldn’t have to lose its valuable employees. Identifying these 3 telltale signs will help you be proactive about meeting your team’s needs so that they don’t walk through the door and never look back. 

About the author
Jayne is the CEO & Co-Founder of KonnectAgain a cloud-based solution that enables companies to forge strong relationships with their former employees. KonnectAgain builds communities for companies, enabling them to manage their alumni communications, networking, events, groups & job openings on one seamless easy-to-use platform.