6 signs employees are going to jump ship
July 17, 2008 by Shane BorerPosted in: "Seemed like a good idea at the time", "Would you want this person in Finance?", Special report
You can’t always tell if employees or co-workers are considering a career switch, but if your top-performers show these outlandish signs, it’s time to start taking applications.
There’s nothing wrong with scoping out the competition or making sure a resume is up-to-date, but when people start behaving like this, odds are good they’re going to abandon your company faster than the Titanic:
- During sales demos, employees explain that although it’s not scientifically proven, they suspect your company’s software contributes to global warming.
- Their Facebook/MySpace/Linkedin profiles have more detail than a string of DNA.
- On casual Fridays, they show up wearing “Monster.com Job Fair — Summer 2008″ t-shirts.
- They ask IT for help downloading the client contact list to a portable USB drive — the flashy new one, emblazoned with your top competitor’s logo.
- They’ve updated their company e-mail signatures with a personal e-mail address — financepro4hire@needajob.com.
- During cold calls, they refer to your company’s cutting-edge product as “that $&8# we sell.”
The signs aren’t always as clear as these — how can you tell when co-workers are planning a move to a different company? Share your comments below.
Tags: Career switch, Changing jobs, E-mail signatures, Global warming, Jumping ship, Top-performers, Updating resumes
July 18th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
wow, that was hilarious. hope you’re not planning on leaving this job for a stand-up career. That’d be a real snafu.
July 18th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
How about the REAL signs?
1) You pay them 1/8th of what that new kid out of school is making.
2) You assume and take advantage of the belief that “exempt” means that overtime is free of any cost or responsibility on the part of the company.
3) You automatically promise them a raise “next evaluation” every time you see them.
4) You refer to them constantly as “what’s your name again?”
5) They give you gag gifts on a regular, recurring basis. Without laughing.
Of course, if you ARE leaving because you hate your company, job, boss be sure and leave behind an annoyatron so your presence will not be forgotten….
July 18th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Behaviors of soon to be departed that I’ve seen:
1. They ask HR how much vacation they have left and proceed to use all their remaining personal and sick time for interviews and personal business.
2. They come in late and leave early.
3. They frequently are engaged in secretively looking coffee clutches with co-workers.
4. Their complaints about the company become more frequent and vocal.
5. Their personal items suddenly disappear from their desks.
I wish more people who are unhappy with their current positions would leave. They bring others down with their negativity and constant sniping. And they are usually mediocre performers.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I agree with Denise Mae, the unhappy ones do bring the good workers down.
We have drivers that are “draggers” and some that will work as a team to help each other out. Unfortunately, the draggers bring down the speed of the good workers because the good ones get tired of having to always help the same person(s) without it being reciprocated, and we can’t really blame them.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
1) They respond with a minimal amount of words and a blank stare when asked why they don’t have their work completed on time.
2) When you visit them at their desks, they close out of what they were viewing on their PC
3) Calls made from their desks are more often from a cell phone and conducted with a low voice.
4) They use the shredder more
5) they smile less
July 18th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
When a co-worker prints the help wanted ads on your printer, followed by an updated resume.
July 18th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Some are the opposite, they don’t seem upset at all. they seem to enjoy their job a lot more than before.
They work more efficiently, seem more cheerful and are more willing to help with projects they would normally groan about.
They know they’re about to make a break from the place.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:14 am
They ask for a copy of their confidentiality / non-compete agreement.
September 19th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
They ask for a raise.
September 19th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
1. They start sticking their tong out at you (to your face)
2. They e mail you obsene photos and inappropriate pictures of hands
3. They are sick until 9:00 and then miracously appear “healed”
4. When they cough they cover their mouth and you hear “uck u”
5. They are gone from their offices for extended periods (greater than the prescribe 11 hour day)
6. They expect a coffee break in the AM and the PM
November 5th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
The “lists” of “How To Tell When An Employee is Leaving” are really very funny but the truth is some of it should be taken seriously. Not ALL employees who leave a company are “bad” employees who are “generally disgruntled” for absolutely no reason. Clearly if that were true all the “good employees” would have but one employer throughout their entire career. How often does THAT happen?
I think it’s a good idea to identify the signs that an employee is contemplating leaving. I think it’s an even BETTER IDEA to “early identify” the signs that lead a good employee to even contemplate seeking other employment. I know, I know, everyone seems to think that only “bad” employees leave companies feeling disgruntled. That’s just not true at all. Believe it or not, some of the employees who seek other employment are actually “good” employees who were unable to resolve some kind of conflict. I use the term “conflict” very broadly meaning pretty much anything from a problem with getting along with a co-worker, to feeling unappreciated, or underpaid, or any reason that causes conflict. Early identification could help companies avoid the loss of good employees while at the same time aid in learning what to look for in order to avoid hiring bad employees in the first place.