8 Signs Your Employee is About to Quit

An overworked employee is rarely a happy one — at least not for long. If you notice someone is looking frazzled or like they might be approaching burnout, address it before they see no other resolution than quitting. Even if you're unable to relieve the load, letting an employee know how much their hard work is appreciated and that you are available if it gets to be too much can go a long way. 

Once someone has become unhappy with their job, they tend to shift into automatic. Instead of being motivated and inspired by their work, they stick to the bare minimum and tend to head out the door right at five. If you notice this happening with one of your employees, suggest having a meeting to re-establish goals or discuss any concerns they might have with their position. Avoid bringing up the fact they seem disengaged and instead focus on how to get them motivated again. 

Along with watching the clock, an employee that seems to be coasting through each day should signal a red flag to employers. Notice that your promising team lead has stopped giving input at meetings or has shied away from any long-term projects? This might be a good time to sit down and get to know this employee better to see if they are just feeling unmotivated or whether they are actually a good fit for the position.   

Is there a grey cloud looming over your office? An employee showing visible signs of distress or unhappiness is usually calling out for help. If you want to keep them, make sure to address this ASAP and get to the bottom of what exactly is bringing them down. 

Is the quiet girl in accounting suddenly starting to dress really sharp? This may be a sign that she's actively seeking out other job opportunities and may already be interviewing. Now might be a good time to sit down and have a chat about opportunities for growth or improvement within the company so she doesn't feel like she needs to leave. 

Taking lunch outside of the office or obsessively checking personal calls and emails may be clues that your employee is in talks with other companies. Try not to be accusatory, but instead engage them in a conversation to see what their career goals are and whether there might be some opportunities within the company that you hadn't thought of before. 

Divorce, deaths in the family, illness or even pregnancy can signal a major change in the personal life of an employee and trigger the desire for a career change. Though there may be very little you can do to change this, the best response is to be patient and express your support and understanding of their new situation. 

Education and self-improvement are always a great thing to see your employees engaging in. Though this should always be encouraged, it may flag the fact that they are seeking out better opportunities. If you want to hang on to them, discuss opportunities within the company or be prepared to graciously wish them well on their new endeavour.