On the Job by Anita Bruzzese 10 Signs Your Best Employee is About to Quit

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese 10 Signs Your Best Employee is About to Quit When you're the boss, there are days when your life seems like one big dumpster fire. Then, there are the days when it feels like everything is going right and you and your team can take on the world. Those take-on-the-world days happen because you have a great team, right? Or, at least you have a mostly great team. Your superstars seem to always come through, whether it's pulling a late night to get a project done or coming up with a brilliant new idea to keep a valued customer. Where would you be without your superstars? Fighting a dumpster fire every day? Perhaps. Without them, your victories might be few and far between, and your job would be much more difficult. That's why you always need to be taking the pulse of valuable team members. Are they happy? Do they feel challenged? Appreciated? If you're not sure, you better find out pretty quick before they walk out the door and take all their superpowers with them. Here are some signs that your most valued employees may be a bit unhappy: 1. Arriving late, leaving early. 2. Seems to call in sick a lot on Fridays. Or Mondays. 3. Hunkers down at his or her workstation like it's a foxhole. Shuns any attempts at conversation with colleagues. Wears headphones even in the bathroom. 4. Eats alone more than usual. Finds an excuse not to join group lunches or coffee runs. Takes lunches at odd times (may be a sign he or she is interviewing somewhere.) 5. Becomes very active on LinkedIn, starts a professional blog or adds tons of new connections via Twitter. 6. Dresses better. This could be a sign that the employee is interviewing somewhere or networking to find another job. Even an updated hoodie and new sneakers should be taken as a warning sign. 7. Late on work assignments. An employee who delays starting an assignment and seems to be missing more and more deadlines could be an indication the employee is no longer engaged and has checked out mentally. 8. Sleepwalking through meetings. All of us zone out from time to time in meetings, so look for behavior that shows the employee not only isn't paying attention -- but doesn't care if anyone knows about it. 9. Very interested in conferences or seminars. An employee who is suddenly gung-ho on such activities may be looking for a way to pass out his or her resume and make industry connections. 10. Whining. Most bosses put up with some whining from all employees, but a superstar doesn't get to be a superstar by whining a lot. When a superstar starts to whine, it's time to figure out what's going on before he or she walks out the door.