5 Signs Your Employee Is About to Quit – What to Do Next

30 of March, 2023

Nothing can derail a business like a sudden employee departure. It’s disruptive to operations, can have a negative effect on morale and productivity, and it can cost you time and money to fill the vacancy.

So how can you spot an employee who might bail on you? What warning signs should you look for as an employer so you can take preventative action?

Fortunately, there are several tell-tale signs that your employees are getting itchy feet and eyeing the door. And also, several strategies that you can use to stop them from leaving in their tracks.

In this article, we’ll discuss five key clues your employee is about to quit and what steps you should take to prevent turnover. You will see how analytics tools can help you identify the pattern of a quitting employee. So let’s start!

Changes in Work Ethic

Changes in an employee’s work ethic are a telltale sign that they may be looking for a way out. If your employee has become less productive, missed deadlines, or is not contributing to the team as before, it could be a sign of dissatisfaction with their current job.

If you begin to see changes like these in your employee’s work ethic, it is important to act quickly to address the situation. Take the time to investigate what could be causing this shift and ask them how you can help.

It could be that they need more resources or assistance with a project, or are feeling overwhelmed by the workload they have been given. Don’t hesitate to have a honest discussion with your employees about their roles and responsibilities, so you can make sure they feel supported and valued in their position.

Increase in PTO Requests

A sudden, sudden spike in vacation or personal time off requests could signal that an employee is looking for a way out. It’s possible that they are visiting prospective employers in their free time, so take it seriously when the number of PTO requests go up.

If your employee is asking for more than their usual amount of days off, you may want to ask them why they need the extra days. There is a chance they will open up to you and you can work together to prevent them from leaving your business.

For example, if someone who usually takes off two weeks once per year suddenly is putting in multiple requests throughout the year, this could be a sign that they’re looking for new opportunities or needing time away from work for personal reasons.

It’s important that businesses take these types of signs seriously and have an open dialog with their employees if possible. Nobody wants to lose a valuable team member!

Decrease in Daily Interactions

If you are noticing that your employee is interacting with their co-workers less and less, this could be a sign that he or she is looking to move on.

Given the nature of most jobs, communication and collaboration are essential for daily operations. If an employee starts to participate less in these activities, it is likely that they are beginning to detach from the company.

If you notice that someone has decreased their daily conversations at work, it may be worthwhile to have a talk with the employee about how they are feeling.

Whether it’s a lack of interest in their tasks, feeling undervalued, difficulty working with certain coworkers or any other issue, talking through it may help prevent them from leaving altogether. An honest conversation can change the mind of an employee who is about to quit.

Change in Communication Style

Are you noticing a sudden change in the way your employee is communicating with you and other colleagues? If so, it could be a sign that something is changing for them.

When an employee is about to quit, they often become emotionally detached and start to withdraw from conversations. They may become less vocal in meetings, more distant during one-on-one conversations, or even give curt responses when asked how things are going.

However, not all changes in communication style are indicative of an employee who is about to quit. That’s why it’s important to track these changes with tools like Sesame’s People Analytics and HR reports.

Employees who are feeling unengaged or like their voice isn’t being heard may start disengaging without actually quitting. If you can create a safe environment for employees to express themselves honestly and openly, they may choose to stay rather than jump ship.

With Sesame’s People Analytics, you can find out how your team feels about their work environment quickly and easily. Allowing you to spot these issues quickly and respond appropriately.

Lack of Enthusiasm & Effort

The fifth sign to watch out for is a lack of enthusiasm and effort. If your employee used to be a stellar performer, but now seems disengaged, there may be a problem. Notice if they’ve started to avoid regular tasks, come in late or leave early, or no longer demonstrate the same level of commitment when working on projects.

If you think this could be the case, it’s important to take action quickly. A great way to do this is by using HR software such as Sesame that can help you understand the behavior of your team and identify the employees who are less engaged.

Sesame can give you an aggregated view of employee data, so you can easily track changes in behavior and motivation over time. You can also send automated engagement surveys to employees that include questions such as “what are the biggest challenges facing your job right now?”

By being proactive with HR analytics and gathering employee feedback, you will be able to identify any potential issues early on and address them quickly before they result in costly turnover.

What to Do to Try and Prevent Employee Quitting

If you think your employee is on their way out the door, here are some things you can do to try and prevent them from quitting:

Have an open dialog

Encourage your employee to be candid with you about what they’re feeling and let them know that they can come to you if they want to chat about any grievances or issues. Don’t be too pushy though—you want them to feel comfortable talking with you and not like they’re being interrogated.

Offer recognition

Everyone wants recognition for their work, so make sure your star employees are getting kudos from the higher ups in addition to from their team. You could even offer rewards for their achievements; it doesn’t have to be anything expensive: a simple “thank you” or a raise can go a long way!

Invest in software that helps measure engagement

Sesame is the best HR software available, and it’s perfect for keeping track of employee engagement. With Sesame you can understand the behavior of your team and identify the employees who are less engaged than usual. This is a great way to spot potential problems before they become bigger issues.

If one of your employees is feeling undervalued or unappreciated, having an open dialog, recognizing hard work, and investing in good HR software can help ease the situation and potentially prevent an employee who is about to quit.