Watch for ‘exit’ signs of talented employees
If a top performer starts behaving a shade differently — arriving at 9 a.m. instead of 8 a.m., contributing less often during meetings or handing in projects late — an employer’s “spidey senses” might start tingling. And with good reason — that person could be on the way out the door.
But if managers and supervisors know the warning signs to look for, they might be able to stop the departure of valued employees before it’s too late. Of course, it’s even better if an organization offers the culture and benefits that prevent the temptation of greener pastures.
One of the key indications of a problem is an attitude change, says Andrea Garson, Toronto-based vice-president of HR at Workopolis.
“A lot of employees are not really good at putting on an act, so if they’re really thinking about leaving, they’re likely mentally disconnecting already, even before they actively have another role to go to,” she says.
That means someone who used to go the extra mile becomes an average employee or an average employee shows signs of deterioration. The worker may start to lay low, stick to themselves, try to avoid being in front of a manager or other people who might pick up on these signs.
“You may also start to hear a sense of disgruntlement that you may not have heard before,” she says. “Employees may start complaining more often, to their managers or colleagues, about the workforce, the workload, the economy — you notice a change in the way they’re engaging with other people.”
And then there is covert job-hunting behaviour, where absences are more suspicious, someone works from home more often or spends an unusual amount of time on a cellphone.
A job-hunting employee may also make “a slew of HR-type inquiries,” says Garson, asking about health-care coverage, how many vacation days she has left or the likelihood of a salary increase.
“They may be looking to renegotiate their current package,” she says.
Employers should watch for somebody who was previously a high performer and is now either refusing to take on broader responsibilities or letting their performance slide, missing deadlines and targets, says Rick Lash, Toronto-based director of the leadership and talent practice for Canada at the Hay Group. Employers might also hear “static in the system” from other people about someone not returning phone calls or missing meetings.
“That should be a clue, especially if this person is in a position of managing other people and you’re seeing changes in the work climate of the team, people are feeling frustrated, you’re seeing higher turnover in the group and the individual isn’t really engaged.”
How to respond
If a manager suspects a person is on his way out, the employer must get to the root cause if it wants to retain him, says Lash.
“As a leader, this is where your own emotional intelligence and coaching skills have to come into play. You have to sit down and have a discussion about what’s going on, about what really is the source of difficulty — are there things going on at home that are potentially impacting their ability to perform? Are there issues around them not getting the recognition and rewards they expect from their boss for their role? Are there restrictions in the work environment that are making them crazy? Are there blockages in the career path?”
Not everyone is worth fighting to keep, so an employer needs to decide whether or not this worker needs to be retained.
If yes, then it’s a matter of “talking about the elephant in the closet or in the room, depending on how prevalent it is,” says Garson.
That means talking to the employee about her change in attitude or work, and finding out what’s going on — because sometimes managers can misinterpret the signs, which may actually be an indication of personal issues that have nothing to do with the workplace.
“The other caution to managers is if you’re prepared to open up a conversation about the elephant, you need to be sure you are willing to address some of the concerns if you want to keep the person,” says Garson.
The sooner the employer gets involved and has that discussion the better, says Koula Vasilopoulos, Calgary-based branch manager for Office Team, a division of Robert Half International. Raising the issue shows the employee the organization cares and she is a valued and important part of the company structure. But try not to set a precedent, she says.
“Be very careful you don’t fall into a trap of counter-offers,” she says. “People have a fear of losing a really good person, someone who’s valuable to them, and they start the counter-offer process, which is never a good idea. Not for the company and not for the individual. You end up losing that trust exchange between you and the employee and, from that point on, both people start questioning each other’s loyalty.”
People who accept a counter-offer often leave shortly after anyway, says Vasilopoulos, and this kind of approach impacts the credibility of the company and credibility with others in the group.
Be ahead of the curve
Companies may have high performers earmarked but not really focus on what they need to do to keep them. And when one of these employees announces his departure — because he is frustrated by a lack of recognition or fails to see a promising career path — leaders scramble to entice him back.
“It’s kind of a rude awakening and realization the organization should have been doing something more proactive,” says Lash. “It’s one of those things they should get to and all of a sudden it turns into a crisis — that’s often what employers experience.”
Managers should stay in touch with their employees, meet with them on a regular basis, conduct regular reviews, even informal ones, to check in with individuals to gauge their interest. Leaders should also listen to what other staff are saying.
“You may not be seeing it but their peers probably are and most peers usually know about someone’s departure far ahead of a manager,” says Vasilopoulos. “Try to have an open-door policy where the rest of the team, who may really care about losing that individual, will come to you in an effort to retain that person.”
And if the person does ultimately leave, keep in mind she may come back some day “so try your best not to let personal disappointment or frustration show and let them know if they’re a valued employee, you want to leave the door open,” she says.
Exit signs
How to spot an employee on the job hunt
There are five obvious signs that should alert employers to an unhappy employee:
A noticeable change in attitude: A normally outgoing employee becomes quieter and more self-contained, or a normally quiet employee becomes more assertive and louder.
Less communication: Typically, employees who are thinking of leaving keep a low profile while they’re job hunting, so an employee who used to be full of ideas dries up.
Longer lunch breaks, frequent absences: If someone is away more often than usual, they may be talking to prospective new employers.
More personal phone calls: If an employee is consistently walking out of the room when taking mobile phone calls, be suspicious.
Change in dress: If someone arrives dressed to kill or with a portfolio in hand, chances are an interview is in the cards.
Source: Robert Half
