The basic tenet of managing turnover is that everyone eventually leaves. But the “when” can feel like a mystery. Recent research shouldn’t be considered the only way to identify an employee on the verge of quitting, but it does point to a set of behaviors that, taken together, can provide a clue—and it discounts behaviors that have mistakenly been seen as tells.
Source: Harvard Business Review, October 20, 2016.
Research by Timothy M. Gardner and Peter W. Hom Identified these thirteen pre-quitting behaviors:
- Their work productivity has decreased more than usual.
- They have acted less like a team player than usual.
- They have been doing the minimum amount of work more frequently than usual.
- They have been less interested in pleasing their manager than usual.
- They have been less willing to commit to long-term timelines than usual.
- They have exhibited a negative change in attitude.
- They have exhibited less effort and work motivation than usual.
- They have exhibited less focus on job related matters than usual.
- They have expressed dissatisfaction with their current job more frequently than usual.
- They have expressed dissatisfaction with their supervisor more frequently than usual.
- They have left early from work more frequently than usual.
- They have lost enthusiasm for the mission of the organization.
- They have shown less interest in working with customers than usual.
INSIGHTS: The investments we make in hiring and training a new employee are significant if the employee is not retained in the position for three or more years. Managers can use these signals to invest time and resources into those employees who create the most value and are actually at risk of leaving.