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Source: SHRM
Authors: JR Keller, Timothy Gardner, Brad Winn
The article discusses strategies for retaining valuable employees by identifying pre-quitting behaviors and focusing retention efforts on those most at risk of leaving, while also highlighting the importance of creating internal talent markets and changing manager mindsets to reduce turnover.
Key Takeaways:
• Anticipating pre-quitting behaviors in employees allows leaders to implement more focused and effective retention strategies. A great way to do this is through AWP !
• Not all employees are equally at risk of leaving; efforts should concentrate on retaining the most valuable ones who show signs of high turnover risk. This is effectively done through AWP.
• A scientific study identified 13 behaviors that are highly predictive of an employee’s future departure, which can guide targeted retention strategies. These can be determined by asking the right questions through AWP.
• Retention strategies should be tailored to individual employees’ needs and performance levels, with a particular focus on those in critical roles or with high potential. This is the value of the highly personalized experience AWP provides.
• “Stay interviews” can be an effective tool for understanding and addressing the concerns of employees at high risk of quitting.
• Creating visible career advancement pathways and developing an internal talent market are crucial for retaining talent and reducing turnover. This is how AWP can pinpoint and troubleshoot on employee retention.
• Overcoming managerial mindsets that hinder the effectiveness of internal talent markets—such as tribal, short-term, and territorial thinking—is essential for retention.
• The approach suggests a shift towards strategic retention that prioritizes quality over quantity, focusing on the most critical talent rather than broad, undifferentiated efforts.
Richard Stein
Chief Growth Officer, Amazing Workplace, Inc.
shrm.org
Linking Theory + Practice: Pre-quitting behaviors
It is especially critical for leaders to anticipate when and who might be thinking of resigning. Pre-quitting behaviors can be observed by managers long before an employee quits and companies can be more focused and targeted in their responses.