No More Surprise Exits | How to Spot a Soon-to-Leave Employee

As an HR professional, you must already know how to negotiate, offer more benefits, etc. to an employee who has declared that they are considering leaving the organization.

But how do you spot an employee who is soon-to-leave without prior notice, before it is too late?

Sometimes, employees leave their jobs without notice, and it takes time, effort, and money for employers to replace them. While companies are looking for replacements, there may be a drop in overall productivity as well, not to mention the increase in turnover rate.

Is it the same as quiet quitting?

Quiet quitting is vastly different from silent resignation. Quiet quitters are not in the process of leaving a company. They stay in their position by doing only ‘what they are paid to do,’ as some say. They decline to go above and beyond their role, or refuse to take up any additional responsibilities without a pay raise.

Surprise quitting, on the other hand, doesn't give an employer a chance to make counteroffers or try to convince an employee that they should stay if they're leaving for another job offer elsewhere (which is often the case). When someone decides they want out of their current position but isn't comfortable with confrontation, this can lead them down the path towards a silent resignation instead. If you're an employer/HR manager reading this right now thinking "my employees never tell me when they're leaving!", you've likely been on the receiving end of a sudden & silent resignation at some point!

It's important for HR managers to keep an eye out for changes in employee behavior that could indicate they're thinking about leaving. It's also vital that companies use these checkpoints as opportunities to improve the workplace and retain their best employees.

Let’s take a look at some of these checkpoints.

Changes in attitude?

If you notice your employees are becoming less friendly, more negative or withdrawn, it could be a sign they're unhappy with their job and may be preparing to leave.

Decreased productivity level

A decreased sense of responsibility (or putting in less effort) toward projects and tasks (i.e., being "too busy" for meetings, not responding promptly) might be a sign that they no longer prefer working for your organization and might be planning on leaving soon.

Spending less time with coworkers outside of working hours

This can mean several things—for example, some people may simply feel like spending more time with family or friends after work (which is perfectly fine), but it should raise flags if there's been no change in their family situation recently, and especially if they had previously made it a point to engage in and enjoy post-working hours activities.

Stops initiating conversions of career progression

An employee who no longer talks about their career path with you or anyone else in the office can be an indicator that they've given up on their professional development. They may also feel like there's no point in putting effort into personal growth since they have decided to leave your organization anyway.

And so,

The way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel. And if your employees don't feel valued, neither will your customers.

Sybil Stershic - Author & founder of Quality Service Marketing

If you see these signs in your employees, it's important to take action and talk with them immediately. Don't wait until the signs are glaringly obvious, because then it will be too late to change their minds. If you have noticed some other signs, do share them with the community - your wisdom would be much appreciated!

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