Recruiting Strategies - 5 Clues that Someone is About to Quit their Job

Tuesday, August 25, 2015 - 12:11

The tech industry offers a lot of great jobs covering a wide variety of specialties and can be highly rewarding if each team member is in the right position at the right time. At times, though, you may notice the people you manage are no longer passionate about their job. Before you slide into those recruiting strategies to replace a current employee, let’s see if there is an actual need for it. Do you know these five warning signals from employees that are seriously considering leaving?

1) They Dread Going to Work

One of the tell-tale signs that it's time to go is when you find yourself depressed by the thought of work even on your day off. If your people are feeling this way, they might hint about it. Ask them how their weekend was. Drop by their workspace on a Monday morning to gauge the mood. Do it again on Friday afternoon. Listen carefully for any hints of “Sunday Dread.” It does no one any good to keep someone who hates their daily tasks enough to have to drag themselves to work on Monday.

2) They Have Serious Issues with their Supervisor

Although you probably won't see eye to eye with your staff on every little detail, it can be problematic when there is a major rift going on- especially if it continues or pops up at regular intervals. If you find yourself in serious conflict with your people, it will create a tense atmosphere and a stressful working environment. consider bringing in a third party to act as a referee when you meet. Ask what YOU are doing to create the conflict. Work hard on listening. If all else fails, you probably have an employee that is looking for a way out.

3) They Have Checked Out

Is anyone simply going through the motions? You can tell by a lack of new ideas, enthusiasm, or creativity. Quality decreases. There might even be a bit of helplessness or hopelessness. While everyone else seems to be having fun, there is no joy at the checked out person’s desk. This might be a little harder to detect, but read between the lines when they say “fine,” when you ask them how work is going.

4) Stress Levels Are Off the Charts

In many of today's fast-paced tech companies, things can get a little hectic at times, and stress levels can rise. Although some level of stress is to be expected, it may be time to jump ship if it's getting to the point that your people are experiencing severe stress on a daily basis. Not only is this mentally draining, but it can take a toll on everyone’s health in the long run. It might be time to hire additional help (and those recruiting strategies offer some guidance) or repurpose some current staff.

5) They Feel Undervalued

When someone works hard, some recognition and appreciation is in order. Don’t depend solely on the idea that a nice paycheck is good enough, it can really dampen spirits if a supervisor shows little to no appreciation. In fact, it’s one of the most common reasons employees quit. This Forbes Magazine article put it this way, “When even one employee feels undervalued, you are failing as a leader.” Are you noticing more absenteeism and lack of effort lately?

There is no substitute for asking a lot of questions, taking time to listen and most importantly following through on an agreements or promises. There is nothing that demotivates people more than a good listener who makes it clear there will be changes… and NOTHING HAPPENS. That’s a guaranteed way to spin that revolving door of employee turnover.

If you're seeing one or more of these signs, it might be time to take action. There are always more options than the one or two you think of first, so settle in and get to work on it- ideally with the employee in question.