5 Ways to Predict And Prevent Employee Resignation with BerniePortal

You’ve likely seen headlines about the current labor shortage as a result of the pandemic. If you are looking for members to fill your team, it can feel next to impossible to compete in the current market. Due to the high stakes, employers have been increasing their focus on employee retention and avoiding a “Great Resignation” within their workplace. Here are five signs an employee may be resigning soon and how to avoid it.

How Can You Predict an Employee's Resignation?

It’s easy to get lost in the daily shuffle and overlook an employee having a bad day. Making a conscious effort to be more aware will not only build relationships with employees, but may help you predict and prevent resignations. Here are five signs that an employee may be looking for a way out:

1. When an employee is on the brink of resignation, you may notice they are absent a lot more. If you notice an employee is less present—whether that means taking extra PTO days or calling out sick more often—their absence could be a result of caring less when quitting is on the horizon. Even if the employee physically shows up to work, you may notice them being less present in their work—quiet, disengaged during meetings, and less focused. 
   
   
2.  When an employee starts producing less work, of lower quality, it could be a sign that they may be resigning in the near future. Chances are, when the employee sees a finish line, they may become less productive and not put their best effort into work.
   
   
3. When an employee feels as if they have nothing to lose since they plan to quit soon, they may start displaying destructive behavior. You may notice they have an increase in friction with other employees such as fighting, disrespectfully disagreeing, and not listening to their supervisors. If an employee starts to display this behavior, it could be a sign that they don’t care about their role on your team anymore.
   
   
4.  Seeing an employee updating their social media accounts, such as LinkedIn, is often a sign of looking for their next career move. You may notice the employee updating their profile to appeal to recruiters and updating past work experience.
   
   
5. If you notice one of your team members is displaying an attitude that seems out of the ordinary, this could be another sign of resignation in the near future. When it comes to someone’s mood, it’s important to remember that a lot of things can affect it—a lot of things that may or may not be work related. Along with the other issues listed above, it is wise to initiate a conversation with the employee if you notice a mood change. This conversation can make an employee feel they are valued and potentially prevent their resignation in the near future. 

Noticing an employee’s declining engagement can feel very disappointing as a manager, but you don’t have to immediately start prepping for the worst. It’s important to not jump to conclusions if you notice any of these five behaviors in an employee and allow a platform for them to open up to you about possible reasons for their discontentment. 

At BerniePortal, we found a good solution is carving out 1:1 time with the employee to talk about their role on your team and how satisfied they are. Through BerniePortal, employees are able to send managers 1:1 meeting agendas ahead of time, allowing for managers to add their talking points to the list and ensure ample prep time. Having these tough conversations with employees may be uncomfortable, and not always what you want to hear, but they prevent employee resignation. 

If you haven’t done one in the past, we also suggest sending out routine company wide eNPS surveys to get a gauge on employee satisfaction. This can give companies an overarching indication of employee satisfaction, as receiving a low eNPS score could be an indicator that employee resignations may be approaching. 

How BerniePortal Can Help with Retention

In times of uncertainty, BerniePortal is always here to help smooth the waters. Managers and leaders have a lot on their plates, and sensing an employee’s resignation can add even more stress. Here are some ways BerniePortal can help your retention efforts:

• BerniePortal’s Performance feature makes it simple for managers to initiate 1:1 conversations with employees. Within each employee’s profile you are able to send agendas and meeting summaries, leaving a digital trail of everything discussed. This may be especially important if you are planning to have a hard conversation after noticing a sign of resignation in the employee.