Despite a century of speculation by managers and scholars, we know very little about whether certain cues or signs exhibited by employees can predict whether they’re about to quit.
13 Signs That Someone Is About to Quit, According to Research
If asked to identify the most telling signs that an employee is about to quit, many managers would list behaviors like wearing interview attire to the office, or leaving a resume lying around. According to Gardner and Horn, however, the cues are much more subtle. They identified 13 key behaviors that employees typically exhibit before they quit. While no one factor is indicative of turnover, Gardner and Horn found that the more an employee exhibited pre-quitting behaviors, the more likely he was to leave an organization within 12 months. Being able to recognize these 13 behaviors is an essential skill for managers and employees considering leaving their current positions. Managers should use this information to try to retain star employees or put a plan in place for an eventual departure. An employee on the job market should be cognizant of how his behavior may affect his co-workers.