Harvard Business Review reveals the telltale signs an employee is about to quit

tunisante November 22, 2016

Research has revealed the telltale signs that an employee is quitting
The study found a list of 13 reliable pre-quitting behaviours (or PQBs)
Behaviours included leaving early and a negative attitude towards bosses

Steven Trask For Daily Mail Australia

Published:
19:50 EST, 21 November 2016

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Updated:
22:00 EST, 21 November 2016

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The resignation of an employee can be a shock event that blindsides even the most observant boss.

But a new study has revealed how simple it is to spot when a worker is leaving if you know just what you are looking for.

The subtle cues, published in the Harvard Business Review, included leaving work early, lowered productivity and a lack of interest in pleasing bosses.

Giveaway: A new study has revealed the 13 signs that someone is about to quit their job

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The study discovered the list of 13 pre-quitting cues by interviewing 100 managers from a range of backgrounds.

Researchers asked each manager one question: For every co-worker and employee that has quit in the past two years, how was their behaviour different in the months prior to quitting that indicated they were on their way out.

It also surveyed 100 employees about their own behaviours before they left a job.

The list of responses was finally whittled down into 13 traits that were strongly linked to an increased likelihood an employee was about to jump ship.

Frustrated: Signs included an increased willingness to speak out against co-workers and managers

AN EMPLOYEE IS DOING LESS WORK THAN USUAL

It may seem obvious, but one of the telltale signs that someone will soon leave their job is a drop in productivity.

In jobs with measurable output – think manufacturing or sales – this is one of the easiest indicators to spot.

Employers should look for a worker doing less work than they usually would, or an increased willingness to do the minimum amount of work.

Fed-up: Workers who are about to quit are less interested in pleasing their managers

AN EMPLOYEE HAS LESS ENTHUSIASM FOR THEIR JOB

THE 13 SIGNS SOMEONE IS ABOUT TO QUIT THEIR JOB

The study came up with 13 different signs that an employee was about to quit. They were:

1. They are doing less work than usual

2. They are less of a team player

3. They do the minimum more often

4. Less interest in pleasing bosses

5. Less willing to commit to deadlines

6. A negative change in attitude

7. Less effort and motivation

8. Less focus on job-related matters

9. Expressed dissatisfaction with their current job

10. Expressed dissatisfaction with their supervisor

11. Leaving early more often

12. Less enthusiasm for the mission of their employer

13. Less interest in working with customers

A typically engaged employee who suddenly takes less interest in their work is another sign that bosses should watch out for.

Workers who are soon to leave will be less interested in impressing bosses or pleasing clients than they usually would.

NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS CO-WORKERS AND SUPERVISORS

With the imminent prospect of quitting in mind, many employees feel like they no longer need to keep up their positive workplace attitude.

Instead, they feel free to express thoughts and opinions that they may have previously kept under wraps.

These thoughts might concern their dislike for their current job, dislike for their co-workers, or their dislike for their bosses.

EMPLOYEES BECOME LESS COMMITTED AND LESS ENGAGED

Employees who have decided to quit but not yet told their bosses might also become sheepish about their future with the company.

They will be less inclined to commit to deadlines in the long-term future, and in the short-term future will be less willing to work overtime.

They will also leave work earlier more often and will be less interested in talking about their job.

Dissatisfied: Employees looking to quit will be less interested in working with customers and less willing to be a team player

The study found that these pre-quitting behaviours (dubbed PQBs) were a relatively reliable indicator of someone’s impending resignation.

‘Overall, the results support the view that the psychological and behavioral processes that activate and facilitate voluntary turnover are manifest in observable behaviors,’ researchers said.

They said that the list of PQBs could be used to spot a ‘quitter’ with the intent of addressing their concerns and keeping them within the company.

‘The PQB scale developed for this study offers a valid and reliable means of identifying potential quitters without crossing ethical or legal guidelines,’ they said.

The study was performed by researchers from Utah State University, Florida State University and Arizona State University and was originally published in the Journal of Management.