How to spot the signs that your employees are about to leave

Let’s face it, it’s never easy to say goodbye to top talent, but sometimes, the signs that someone is about to leave can be hard to miss.

People tend to think long and hard before jumping ship. Sometimes they find it difficult to speak to their senior leaders about the issues or reasons why they are considering moving on.

In today’s job market we’re finding that top talent in the legal and finance sectors are in great demand meaning they are likely to receive multiple offers if they decide to actively search for a new opportunity.

As an employer, it’s useful to understand what signs to look out for so that you can approach your employees and give them the opportunity to talk to you about the factors that are causing them to reconsider their current position. This helps you to retain your employees, and also demonstrates to them that they are valued and that you care.

Signs that someone is unhappy and may be job searching

Indicators that you may have an imminent departure, include:

Decreased productivity:

If an employee’s work performance has dropped off and they aren’t as productive as usual, this could  be a sign they’re not as invested in their job as they once were.

Withdrawal from social activities:

Has the employee become more distant or stopped taking part in team activities or events? If they’re not engaging with the team, they may be mentally preparing to move on.

Increased criticism:

Becoming more or highly critical of the team or organisation as a whole could be a sign that they’re looking for a way out and ready to move on.

Reduction in suggestions or ideas:

If the employee has previously been proactive in providing suggestions to improve processes or culture.

Showing little or no interest in career progression:

Has the employee always been engaged with regards to their career path but now seems disinterested? This could be an indicator that they have started to look at opportunities for promotion elsewhere.

Lack of engagement on long term projects:

Your best people who are usually invested in long term business plans may seem less concerned with projects they have been or would normally get involved in. Their head may already be elsewhere.

How to address the situation if you are seeing some of these signs that someone is about to resign

Informal Discussion

Discussing casually with employees asking them directly how they are feeling and if they are still happy in their role. Discuss their personal goals and consider how you can realistically support them. This demonstrates you are supporting them and giving them the opportunity to talk to you about how they might be feeling.

Make Reasonable Adjustments

Consider their caseload, are they handling too many matters and becoming overburdened or do they require more assistance within their department. This could be a simple fix that could be addressed if they are successfully overachieving their billing targets but could be reaching burnout.

Create A Plan

If there are issues that need addressing devise a plan together, sign post the actions and see it through.

Check In

Check in regularly to discuss the actions from the plan and illustrate the changes and improvements that have been implemented.

Consider Work-Life Balance

Does the culture of your firm take into account employees’ work-life balance? We all need to strike the balance between performing at work and enjoying our down time at home. Anonymously survey your employees to see if any improvements could be made to your benefits and the ways in which your company supports work-life balance.

Retaining top talent is a priority. Replacing them can be costly, not just with regards to attracting new talent but also with regards to loss of billing once they have left your firm.

Now many more candidates put an emphasis on work-life balance, employee benefits and the culture of the firm they work for before salary. So, these are important considerations as an employer. There are many ways you can address this without it having to cost the earth.

If you’d like some insights with regards to attractive benefits candidates are interested in or the market as a whole please get in touch at [email protected] or on 01524 34400.

Our consultants are experts in their market and geographic and are here to support you with retaining and attracting legal, finance, accountancy, financial services and HR professionals.