One of the best ways you can continue to maintain a high level of success and quality within your business is to make sure that you retain all of your best employees. Of course, this also means that if an employee is considering leaving your business, you need to be able to read the signs ahead of time so that you can do your best to keep them aboard.
Here are some of the most common signs that may indicate employees could potentially leave your company:
1) A sudden drop in productivity
If you have a rock-star employee suddenly take a drastic dip in productivity, this could very well be a sign that they have already started working on an exit plan. Schedule a one-on-one meeting with the employee to uncover the issue and see if you can resolve it. This could also be an opportunity for you to persuade the employee to stick around, if he or she is indeed on the way out.
2) Unusual amounts of isolation 
Perhaps the employee is taking more personal calls than usual during the day, or speaks on the phone in a low voice. Maybe he or she seems withdrawn, which could be especially usual if the employee normally is quite social. Talk to the employee and see if you can find out the issue.
3) A lack of work ethic
If an employee is on the way out of the company, it's not uncommon for them to feel as if there's no point in putting in as much effort as they had done in previous months/years. Perhaps the employee just feels overworked or not used properly, and their motivation has started to slip. Whatever the scenario, it's important to confront the employee about the issue before it becomes even more serious.
4) Unusual requests for time off
If you notice an employee taking more time off or more sick days than usual, there's a chance that he or she could be becoming disengaged with their work and preparing to leave for a new position. Many people like to use up all of their sick time and paid time off in their final weeks of a position rather than leave them unused.
Remember: losing employees (particularly your best employees) costs a lot of time and money, as you have to find and train a replacement. That's not to mention the strain on the team to cover for that person while you search for a new employee. Pay attention to these sorts of signs and do everything you can to retain your best people.
