5 Signs An Employee Is Considering Quitting & What To Do About It

While we’re always here to help when your team’s in need of some new talent, we also know the importance of keeping amazing employees in your business. With this in mind, we thought we’d share some tips on how to spot a flight-risk and proactive ways to put a pin in their position-change. 

A recent article published by the team at SEEK states that “in 2023, one in three employees are looking to change jobs and have a fresh start somewhere else in the next six months.” They went on to reveal the five telltale signs that an employee could be looking to leave as:

1. They’re not at work: An employee who starts to take an increased amount of sick leave or annual leave may be on their way out

2. They’re unsatisfied: Changes to an employee’s attitude, such as increased complaints or dissatisfaction, may be a sign they’re looking to leave

3. They’re unengaged: When an employee’s interest in meetings or company initiatives fades, it could be an indicator they’ve checked out

4. They stop aiming to please: Changes to an employee’s want to produce high standards of work or please their supervisors are often signs they’re leaving

5. They stop communicating: Stopping or changing how they talk about their role and career development could be an indicator an employee has found something else

So, what do you do if one of your valued employees starts to show signs of an upcoming shift? We’ve gone up with some steps you can take:

1. Make time to talk: Schedule a 1:1 conversation with the employee in an environment where they’ll feel comfortable to talk freely and openly. Allow plenty of time so that the conversation doesn’t feel too formal or rushed

2. Understand what they want: Different people are motivated by different things, for some it’s financial, for other’s it’s freedom and flexibility. The most common motivators we come across when talking to candidates are; growth opportunities, career progression, flexible hours, the ability to work from home, being valued and recognised, and a strong company culture

3. Get creative with your offer: Think about what you can offer your employee that might be important to them. While there may be budget limitations to work within, you could offer non-monetary perks that play into what that person values. For example, if they have a young family, could you adjust their hours so they’re able to spend time with their children after school? If they want progression but you’re not able to offer a promotion, could they shadow someone more senior once a month? Is there any reason they couldn’t work from home one day a week, or is there a car park you could allocate them to take some of the stress out of their commute? You could even propose a couple of options, and give them the choice as to which is more appealing

4. Prioritise putting it into action: Make a plan with your employee and give them dates as to when it will be effective so that they can see the results of your conversation. Taking it one step further and outlining incentives for the future is also a great idea to increase retention

5. Follow up: Make sure to follow up with your employee to see how they are feeling with the new agreement in place. This gives you another touch point for a conversation, and will leave your employee feeling valued