There are many reasons why an employee quits. It can be because they feel unappreciated or less valued by their employers. It can also be because they are no longer happy with their jobs or their compensation package. Whatever the reason, it is a fact that a business can suffer from financial losses in case one of your star employees decided to quit. It can also hurt your company operations if not addressed immediately.
Here are 5 Warning Signs that an Employee is Thinking of Quitting:
1. Less Interest In Satisfying Their Manager
If you noticed that one of your employees seems to not care about their appearance anymore, it can be a sign that he is about to quit. Normally, motivated employees dress for success all the time. It is to impress their managers and also to feel energized while doing their job. This type of employee cares about what his superior will think about his work. He will do anything to have everything perfect before submitting his output. But when it changes from excellent to mediocre… that’s a warning.
2. Work Performance has Decreased
Most of the top performers try to exceed expectations for them. They tend to even compete with themselves since they are already the best. But as time goes by, you may notice that their performance is no longer one of the best. When the employees work performance suddenly goes downhill, there is a problem for sure. This is what happens if the motivation and drive to perform well is gone. The employee will no longer do their best, especially if they don’t get appreciated for doing so.
3. Less Enthusiasm for the Company’s Mission
Every company has its mission. This is to guide every employee on how they should act and perform their tasks. If you noticed that an employee does not even know the gist of the company’s mission, then that’s a goner. Employees who plan to stay longer to the company will learn what the company mission is. They will also make it their guide as they go to work every day. But if someone does not even show interest, then it means that he is just passing by.
4. They Communicate Dissatisfaction with their Job More Often
New employees seem to find their new job to be a perfect fit for them. It can change as time goes by though. More tenured employees may start finding a lot of unsatisfying things about their workplace, colleagues and just about everything. These people will complain even at the start of their shifts. They often can be seen chatting with other employees discussing how bad their job is. They start to be vocal about it to anyone which can affect other employees negatively as well.
5. They Show a Negative Change in Attitude
Employees who are on the verge of quitting seem to be more impatient than others. They may even bad mouth the company even to their company’s clients or customers. It can result in a bad impact for the company. From being the sweetest person around, they may suddenly become hostile to the management. Even if there are no changes from how the company runs, they will still find something wrong. They may also try to avoid handling new projects as they are planning to leave anyway.
What to do about it?
It may actually vary from one employee to another. But there are still universal actions you can take to resolve this problem.
Talk to the Person Involved
Since you have already noticed the changes when it comes to the person’s performance, it is best to talk to them. Sometimes a pep talk may help and make the individual feel better.
Provide Better Options
If it happens to be one of your top performers, it can make sense to discuss better compensation for them. Since the person did well in the past, formulate a better incentive package. It can become a distraction if they feel they are not being rewarded for a job well done anyway.
Approach the Issue Professionally
Whatever you do or offer, if the person has already decided to leave, there’s essentially nothing else you can do to change their minds.
Conclusion
When an employee is thinking about exploring other options, you may notice it right away. It is all up to you if you still want to keep that person on your team or just move on to your next top performer.