Unfortunately, the Great Resignation isn’t over yet. At least 40% of your workforce is leaning toward leaving you at any given time. In 2022, 47 million people quit their jobs in the United States. With 10.8 million open jobs last month, even with some highly publicized recent layoffs in the tech sector recently, your employees have a lot of choices to consider.
Retaining talent is a top worry of most companies, and with these numbers, it’s no wonder. But is there a way to predict when employees might be leaving soon? Here are six signs your top talent might be leaving you soon.
Signs Your Employees Might be Ready to Leave
#1 Decreased engagement: If your employee’s level of engagement in their work drops off, it’s time to worry. Has their enthusiasm for their work lagged in the past few months? If so, it could be a sign they are looking for other opportunities. Or, they could feel burnt out. Either way, it’s time for you to take steps to reengage and support them.
#2 Increased absenteeism: If your employee is taking more time off work than usual or has a developing pattern of absences, it’s a red flag. The employee could be recharging a battery that’s running low, they could be battling depression, or perhaps there’s something going on in their personal life. However, they could also be job searching and using up their time off before they quit.
#3 Lack of initiative: If your employee has dropped back their efforts to volunteer to take on new things, it’s time to worry. Maybe you’ve noticed they’ve stopped offering ideas during meetings, or their spark has otherwise disappeared. Maybe they’re not actively contributing to projects. All of these point to an employee that’s losing interest in their current role.
#4 Negative attitude: Employees that complain frequently or are otherwise negative are a drain on the organization. But what if they were a great employee up until recently? Something has changed, and it could be that they are looking to leave.
#5 Seeking new challenges: Conversely, an employee that’s seeking new projects or applying for jobs outside their department is also a flight risk. They may be bored with their current position and seek new challenges. Hint to employers: Give them a challenge that will engage them, or they won’t stick around.
#6 Increased networking: If your employee is more active on LinkedIn or you notice they’re networking more, they are probably looking for new opportunities.
In this job market, any one of these signs could worry an employer. If you can take steps to retain the employee, that is highly desirable. At the same time, isn’t it great to know you have Blackstone Talent Group standing by to help you should your retention efforts fail? We hope that you don’t have a retention issue—but if you’re worried about your top talent, give us a call. We have the talent available and help employers connect with the employees they need to keep things running smoothly.