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.
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Tags: Career switch, Changing jobs, E-mail signatures, Global warming, Jumping ship, Top-performers, Updating resumes
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.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:25 pm
For me, doing payroll knowing all other department heads are making more than you and then getting a snide note to cut my overtime. That’s when I broke out the want ads.
January 20th, 2009 at 6:40 am
The good ones that you want to keep start working late to get all their work done. They try to minimize contact with you and will not look you in the eye when walking down the hall. They have a spike in sick days and doctor appointments.