Keeping good people
Signs your best employee is about to quit, and what to do this week
You cannot know for sure, and guessing from signs alone is unreliable, so the useful move is to ask. Hold a stay interview this week: a private conversation about what keeps them here, what frustrates them, and what would make them think about leaving. Then act on one thing they said within a month, because a conversation with no follow-through makes things worse.
How managers put it
- “My best person has gone quiet. Should I be worried?”
- “How do I know if someone's looking for another job?”
- “Can I do anything before they hand in their notice?”
- “What do I even say without sounding paranoid?”
What to do
1.Notice changes without jumping to conclusions
Fewer ideas in meetings, less interest in long-term projects, more short days off, a freshly updated online profile. Any one of these can mean nothing; together they are a reason to talk.
2.Hold a stay interview this week
Ask: "What do you look forward to at work? What frustrates you? If you ever left, what would the reason be? What would make you stay longer?" Write down the answers.
3.Fix one thing fast
Pick one thing they raised that you can change, and change it within weeks. It shows the conversation was worth having.
4.Talk about the future honestly
If their next step is pay, a title or a new skill, say what is possible and when. A clear "not this year, but here is the plan" does less damage than a vague promise.
5.Keep checking in afterwards
One conversation is not a retention plan. Keep the regular 1:1s going and come back to what they told you.
Where LVL Up helps
1:1s with the history attached
Recurring 1:1s keep your stay interview notes and the actions you promised, with your name on them, carried to the next meeting until they are done.
Development goals and career paths
Set a goal with them for what they want next. On the Growth plan, career paths show the route they could take with you.
Recognition that reaches them
Recognition tied to your values tells them their work is seen, and the record shows how often that actually happens.
An anonymous pulse for the whole team
A regular anonymous pulse and eNPS question show how the team feels over time, with results shown only once at least three people have answered.
What it does not do
LVL Up does not forecast who will resign and does not flag anyone as a flight risk. It does not monitor job sites, email or activity. Pulse results are anonymous team aggregates, not individual scores. It gives you the conversation, a record of what you promised, and the follow-through.
Common questions
What are the signs an employee is about to quit?
Common ones include withdrawing from discussions, less interest in long-term work, more time off and fewer ideas. None of them proves anything, so the reliable step is a direct, private conversation.
What is a stay interview?
A one-to-one conversation with someone you want to keep, about what keeps them, what frustrates them and what might make them leave. You hold it while they are still happy enough to answer honestly.
Should I make a counter-offer when they resign?
Sometimes it works, but if the reason was not money, a raise only delays the departure. Asking earlier, in a stay interview, is usually more useful.
Can software tell me who is going to quit?
Not reliably, and a tool that labels people as flight risks can damage trust if they find out. Regular conversations and an anonymous team survey tell you more.
Related:
Keep the record in one place
1:1 notes, goals, reviews, feedback and recognition for your team, without an HR department. From $29 a month for up to 25 people.
The trial is 14 days with no credit card, then read-only until you choose a plan. See pricing.