If you haven’t heard about the Great Resignation, we’re living in it. Employees are leaving their places of employment at record rates this year. A big part of that is that we’re living and working in a candidate’s market these days. As a business owner, it’s especially important that you retain your top talent and your best employees. Here are five signs you should look out for as they may be heading out the door. Keep an eye out and you might be able to keep them before they make up their mind.
They are Taking More Time Off than Normal
An employee who is calling in sick or taking more time off than they normally might is a potential flight risk. Of course, there are perfectly legitimate reasons why an employee might need to take some time off, especially in these difficult times. But if there are other signs, it’s worth having a conversation with them.
They are Talking About the Company Online
Especially in today’s world of social media and increased connectivity, high turnover rates look awful to prospective employees. Don’t think that this information isn’t readily available to candidates. With websites like Glassdoor.com becoming increasingly popular, candidates are doing their research about the companies they want to work for. A culture of high turnover and dissatisfied employees will earn your business a bad reputation online as well as across other professional networks. Making the effort to increase your retention rates and support the employees you rely on will help to boost your reputation and make talented individuals actively seek you out for employment.
They Aren’t Responding Well to Your Management Style
Many of your employees have undergone years of education and training to build the skills and develop the knowledge needed to earn their title. If you are managing your employees all the same, they might not all respond the same way, or well. If you find yourself micromanaging or arguing with your employees, chances are you will also struggle with high turnover rates. Finding the right balance of direction and freedom can be tricky. But when it’s not working, it’s pretty easy to tell. If you find that you need to dial in your management style for specific employees more often than others, that’s another sign they might be ready to find someone else to be their manager.
They Aren’t Engaged in their Work
Work takes great focus and attention from employees who are engaged. The employees who are thinking about leaving are likely not as focused on their work as they may be otherwise. They are likely easily distracted or generally focusing on other things. They are unlikely to volunteer for anything outside of their ordinary responsibilities. And if asked why they are disengaging, they would be unlikely to come clean with their answer. Sometimes a heart-to-heart can help pinpoint what the issue is but know that in periods of high turnover within the industry, that might be at the heart of the problem.
For more advice on recruiting and retaining a winning team, connect with our recruiting team today.
