Signs Employees May Be Thinking About Quitting

Don’t you wish you knew before a good employee was ready to quit? Maybe then you could be proactive and take steps to try to reengage the employee and perhaps keep them on the team. Maybe you could get to the root of bigger problems before more employees decide to leave.

But how? How can an employer be proactive when so often an employee leaves seemingly out of nowhere?
One of the main ways employers can be proactive in this regard is to keep an eye out for telltale signs that employees may be thinking about quitting. Employers can look for the signs and hope they’re able to recognize when an employee may be dissatisfied before it’s too late.
Here are some signs that your employees may be thinking about quitting:

• They’re less productive. Examples include:
  • Working less overtime (assuming it is voluntary)
  • Putting in fewer hours in general
  • Being more likely to do only the minimum required on a given project
  • Having less focus
  • Not wanting to take on projects with a long time frame
  • Delegating much more than before
• They’re less motivated or enthusiastic. Examples include:
  • Giving fewer ideas or participating less in meetings or discussions
  • Being less likely to volunteer for projects
  • Asking fewer questions
  • Not seeming to care about the details or the big picture (just putting time in)
  • Seeming distant
  • Stopping participation in employee development programs
• They don’t seem to care what others think. Examples include:
  • Being less likely to join in on social activities than before
  • Not engaging in social interactions or workplace activities
  • Complaining more than normal
• Their appearance changes. Examples include:
  • Dressing more casually, indicating they’re less concerned about appearances or with looking professional
  • Dressing much better than usual on some days, which could indicate they’re interviewing at other places
• They’re taking a lot more time off. Examples include:
  • Using up all sick days and vacation time, which could be for multiple reasons:
    • Using up all benefits before leaving
    • Showing they simply don’t want to spend as much time there
    • Using these days to job hunt
  • Coming in late, leaving early, or having more appointments than normal—any of which could signal interviews or general lack of engagement
• They give indications of job hunting. Besides showing up in interview attire, other signs could include:
  • Updating their LinkedIn^® profile
  • Suddenly attending a lot of conferences or other networking events (if this is out of character)
  • Taking a lot of personal calls
• They’re notably dissatisfied. This could happen for many reasons, such as:
  • Not getting a promotion or other preferred project they were vying for
  • Not getting a raise that was asked for
  • Feeling stagnant, having been in the same position for a long time
  • Having disagreements with coworkers
• They’re experiencing major life changes. This can end up causing the employee to quit, even if he or she previously didn’t have any intention of quitting. Major disruption can cause individuals to reconsider their priorities and make big changes. Examples include marriage, divorce, or loss of a loved one.

Of course, any one of these signs doesn’t necessarily mean an employee is job hunting or contemplating leaving. But employers can see there are a lot of different types of employee actions that could raise a red flag—especially if one employee exhibits a lot of signs in a short time period.
If you notice a lot of these signs, you may have very limited time to act. But even if it’s too late to keep that employee on board, it may not be too late to talk with him or her and find out the root of the situation and see if there are changes that can be made to keep others from following in his or her footsteps.