4 warning signs that your workers might quit

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Has your star employee suddenly lost their shine? It might be a sign they are ready to start over someplace new.

There are a number of reasons why employees decide to leave their current work environments, including burnout, lack of career growth, bad managers, and family responsibilities — like caregiving — that make it difficult to maintain a regular 9-to-5 schedule.

Read More: 5 ways to keep employees from jumping ship

In a recent survey by job posting platform Monster, 95% of workers are currently considering changing jobs, and 92% say they are willing to switch industries to land a new position.

“There are many different factors that go into an employee’s decision to quit,” says Tami Simon, global corporate consulting leader at employee benefits consulting firm Segal. “[Bad] managers, total rewards — and whether they are able to get better rewards elsewhere —and especially for mid-career and lower folks, the opportunity for career development and advancement.”

Read More: PTO for periods? Why women workers are asking for this new perk

But all is not lost according to Simon: she says there are four key warning signs employers should look out for that signal an employee is heading for the exit. Once those warning signs are acknowledged, it is up to the employer to address their employees’ concerns and make their organization a place workers want to stay.

Read More: The 16 most popular employee perks

“Attrition is evolving in terms of what it means nowadays,” Simon says. “An organization has got to approach this not from a defensive perspective — How do we stop our people from leaving? — but rather by understanding that your human beings matter. And when you start from that place, then you're able to make sure that you’re not just saying you're a great place to work, but that you’re creating an environment where people look forward to going to work.”

Scroll through these four warning signs Simon says employers should watch out for:

Deteriorating work productivity

Some things to watch out for here include a decline in the quality of the employee’s work, Simon says, and an unwillingness to commit to long-term projects or meet deadlines.

Distancing from the team

When an employee is acting like less of a team player by being less sociable and offering minimal participation during meetings, it could mean they are getting ready to jump ship, Simon says.

Low-motivation behavior

When an employee shows signs that they just aren’t interested in being there it could be a big clue that they are about to give you their notice, Simon says. The red flags to look out for include leaving work early or arriving late, being hard to get a hold of during work hours, taking last-minute time off, exerting less effort on projects and “exhibiting less enthusiasm for the brand.”

Decreasing manager interaction

When a manager is the reason an employee wants to find a new job, pleasing that manager is no longer a top priority, Simon says. Some employees may become more vocal about why they are unhappy with their manager and not worry about the consequences of doing so; they also may file several complaints against their manager in the hopes something will be done to address the issue. If employers don’t take these things seriously they will see the backs of many of their workers.
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