13 Signs an Employee is About to Quit

I worked for a small-sized company (1-50 employees). Long before the manager noticed, I would often observe behavioral changes that signaled that an employee may be exiting the company. I would bring my suspicions to the attention of the affected manager, who, most of the times, would dismiss my concerns. Days or weeks later, the employee would resign. Not surprisingly, the manager would barge into my office (or call) surprised and at times angry that the employee left.

Sounds familiar?

Having worked for small and large organizations, one problem remained constant; most managers were more focused on meeting company goals and were less focused on leading and engaging with their teams. When employees feel that their leader isn’t engaged, doesn’t care or isn’t concerned about his professional growth and personal well-being, they begin to exhibit behavioral changes that may result in their exit.

There are visible behavioral changes an employee displays when he or she is about to quit. These changes are easily identifiable, only if the manager is truly engaged. A research conducted by Timothy M. Gardner and Peter W. Hom, lists13 behaviors that signal an employee is just about ready to leave an organization.

1. Their work productivity has decreased more than usual.
2. They have acted less like a team player than usual.
3. They have been doing the minimum amount of work more frequently than usual.
4. They have been less interested in pleasing their manager than usual.
5. They have been less willing to commit to long-term timelines than usual.
6. They have exhibited a negative change in attitude.
7. They have exhibited less effort and work motivation than usual.
8. They have exhibited less focus on job related matters than usual.
9. They have expressed dissatisfaction with their current job more frequently than usual.
10. They have expressed dissatisfaction with their supervisor more frequently than usual.
11. They have left early from work more frequently than usual.
12. They have lost enthusiasm for the mission of the organization.
13. They have shown less interest in working with customers than usual.

Losing employees is costly. According to the Society for Human Resources Management, employers will need to spend the equivalent of six to nine months of an employee’s salary in order to find and train a replacement. This means anywhere between $30,000 to $45,000 to hire and train a replacement of an employee that was making $60,000. Managers must get up from their desks, communicate and take extra time and effort to engage and care about their employees. If a Manager is surprised when an employee quits, the Manager has not done his or her job.