Losing qualified employees is one of the costly events that can happen to a business owner. Once your employee has been trained for the position and you come to depend on them to fulfill their responsibilities, it becomes imperative that management knows the warning signs that an employee might be trying to find other employment and what to do about it.
Dressing up
Most companies have some sort of dress code, and if you notice that one of your employees who had previously been lax on the code is now dressing up at times, this could be a sign they are taking interviews outside of work. It could also mean that they might not have interviews scheduled but want to be prepared for a call for an interview at any time.
What should you do?
If you notice that they have improved their dress code without being asked to do so, you should mention that you’ve taken notice to it. It’s always possible that the employee is trying to make a good impression for a possible promotion within the company, and you should acknowledge that you’re impressed with their more professional attire.
Frequently absent
Interviews with potential employers don’t always fall outside of office hours, so if your employee is suddenly missing work often, they might not be sick. If they are using up their vacation and sick time all at once, it could show that they have another job they’re looking at seriously and aren’t concerned about depleting it. Another tell is if they’re using a lot of vacation time, but they’re only using it for a day or half day at a time.
What should you do?
Address their absenteeism promptly by asking them straight out if they’re looking for other employment. Be understanding if they say they are, and ask if there’s anything that should be changed within the department because it could open up a positive discussion about what could be improved upon.
Expressing anger/unhappiness
When an employee is unhappy and has allowed these feelings of resentment to build over time, they may begin to express them verbally to you or coworkers. Not everyone will do this, and it typically takes a great deal of frustration to reach the point of complaining, but if you notice this, the best course of action is to act on it before it starts affecting other workers.
What should you do?
Open your office door to any employee that needs to air a work-related grievance about their position or department. If something specific seems to be a common issue across many employees, it could be time to make a department-wide change. If one person is clearly unhappy with the job itself and has resorted to making negative comments, it could just be time to cut your losses and let them move on.