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Houston expert: Recognizing the warning signs of employee turnover

This Houston expert shares what could be some red flags indicative of possible employee turnover. Photo via Getty Images

Although managing employee turnover is one critical element of operating a successful business, the "Great Resignation" has created mayhem in the workplace, as employers struggle with a staggering number of employee resignations and the difficulties associated with filling open positions.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a total of 15.5 million workers quit their jobs during a four-month period, April to July in 2021.

One way for employers to be proactive and help combat employee turnover is to be aware of the warning signs. If employers can address situations before it is too late, they have a greater chance of retaining top talent, along with the institutional knowledge employees possess.

Some of the red flags indicative of possible employee turnover are discussed below.

Exhibiting low engagement levels

Employees' level of engagement can indicate whether they are connected to the company and its mission or might be planning to leave the organization. When employees stop committing to long-term projects, fail to contribute during team meetings or seem disinterested in career advancement opportunities, they are displaying low engagement levels and could signal an impending resignation. A lack of enthusiasm, doing just enough to get by and appearing to be checked out can mean their loyalties lie elsewhere and they are just counting the days until their exit.

Elevating professional brand

When employees become more active on social media, especially LinkedIn, they might be elevating their professional brand in order to secure new career opportunities. Although updating their profile, making new connections and posting thought-leadership articles might be part of a push to boost their presence on social media platforms, it could easily be an indicator they are trying to grab the attention of recruiters and industry competitors. In addition, if employees suddenly start volunteering to attend industry conferences/conventions, they might be trying to identify new employers in the field and establish those relationships for the future.

Decreasing productivity

A decrease in productivity from top performers is a telltale sign that the end is near. When employees who were typically counted upon to produce at high levels suddenly have a decline in output and quality, such as failing to meet goals, missing deadlines and making more mistakes, this can mean they are no longer invested in the company. This productivity risk can have a negative impact on the company and its external relationships.

Requesting more time off

If employees start requesting more time off or call in sick frequently, they may be using the time to interview for other positions outside of the company. In addition, coming in late, leaving early and dressing better can also be signs of external meetings with potential employers. When employees stray from their normal routines and seem to spend less time concerned about how they are viewed by their existing employer, their eyes are on a bigger prize.

Displaying negative behaviors

There is nothing more damaging to a company than employees who display negative behavior. This not only has an impact on co-workers and overall employee morale, but it can also affect the company's reputation with clients and vendors. When emails and phone calls are not returned, employees fail to participate during meetings, dissatisfaction about their job is expressed and there is a general lack of respect for management and supervisors, the odds of them leaving the company are great. Unfortunately, when situations reach this degree, they may be unsalvageable and in the company's best interest to move forward without these employees.

Trusting a bad feeling

Many successful business leaders know the standard behaviors, habits and career goals of their top performers, so they should be in tune with what is going on in their professional lives. However, there are times when something just doesn't feel right – a gut feeling – when employees don't appear to be themselves. They may seem disorganized, withdrawn or disappointed for some reason, which leaders should quickly investigate. Getting to the heart of the matter and taking action can reverse the course and lead to more engaged and loyal employees.

Of course, it is always best to retain employees both from a cost and skills perspective because turnover is expensive with regard to attracting, hiring, onboarding, training and replacing the knowledge drain with new employees. When valued employees exhibit the warning signs, it behooves employers to take some extra steps to address the situation and convince workers to remain with the company.

For example, have one-on-one conversations to determine the reasons why employees want to leave and request input from them about ways to resolve the situation before it is too late. However, in an effort to help avoid employee turnover in the future, open and honest communications should occur on a frequent basis to establish strong relationships between employers and employees, which results in a more connected and engaged workforce.

While the business landscape has shifted from an employer- to employee-driven workforce that is dictated by employee needs, leaders should be extremely cognizant of the warning signs of employee turnover, keeping them on their radar during daily interactions with employees. Sometimes, all it takes is employee recognition and thoughtful conversations that demonstrate employers care and have compassion toward employees, which can turn potential resignations into long-term dedication to a company and its mission.

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Jill Chapman is a senior performance consultant with Insperity,a leading provider of human resources and business performance solutions.

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Building Houston

 
 

Turns out, everyone wants to live here. Photo by Jim Olive Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

Houston is the fourth most populous U.S. city, and saw the ninth largest numeric population gain of any U.S. city in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's latest findings.

From July 2021 to July 2022, Houston added 11,223 new residents, bringing its total population to 2,302,878. By comparison, San Antonio (population just under 1.5 million) is the seventh largest.

Harris County also led the way with the highest numeric gains for housing units in the nation, at 32,694, coinciding with recent reports deeming Houston the most active real estate market within the last decade.

Together, Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land ranked No. 5 in the list of the 10 most populous U.S. metro areas (as opposed to the cities, themselves). Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington ranked one place higher at No. 4.

Texas cities and towns dominated every list in the new Census Bureau report. "Texas was the only state that had more than three cities on both the 15 fastest-growing large cities and towns by numeric change and by percent change lists," the report says.

Fastest-growing cities
Six out of the 15 fastest-growing cities in the United States are in Texas, and with one Houston suburb – Conroe – landing at No. 11. Conroe had an 6.3 percent population increase from July 2021 to July 2022, bringing the city's total population just over 101,400.

The north Austin suburb of Georgetown had the highest growth rate in the nation, at 14.4 percent, bringing the city's total population to more than 86,500 residents. Surrounding Austin suburbs Kyle and Leander landed in No. 3 and No. 4 with the same population growth rate of 10.9 percent.

The not-so-little Dallas suburb Little Elm zoomed all the way up to No. 5 with an 8 percent population increase, bringing the city's total population to more than 55,300 residents. New Braunfels, which is outside San Antonio, came in at No. 13.

The top 15 fastest-growing large cities in the U.S. are:

  • No. 1 – Georgetown, Texas
  • No. 2 – Santa Cruz, California
  • No. 3 – Kyle, Texas
  • No. 4 – Leander, Texas
  • No. 5 – Little Elm, Texas
  • No. 6 – Westfield, Indiana
  • No. 7 – Queen Creek, Arizona
  • No. 8 – North Port, Florida
  • No. 9 – Cape Coral, Florida
  • No. 10 – Port St. Lucie, Florida
  • No. 11 – Conroe, Texas
  • No. 12 – Maricopa, Arizona
  • No. 13 – New Braunfels, Texas
  • No. 14 – Lehi, Utah
  • No. 15 – Medford, Massachusetts
Largest population increases
When it comes to most populous cities overall, Texas takes five of the 15 top spots with Houston claiming No. 1 in the state. After Houston's No. 4 national rank with its population of over 2.3 million, San Antonio earned No. 7 with over 1.47 million residents, and Dallas at No. 9 with just under 1.3 million residents. Austin barely made it into the top 10 with over 974,000 residents, and Fort Worth ranked No. 13.

The top 15 most populous American cities are:

  • No. 1 – New York City
  • No. 2 – Los Angeles
  • No. 3 – Chicago
  • No. 4 – Houston
  • No. 5 – Phoenix
  • No. 6 – Philadelphia
  • No. 7 – San Antonio, Texas
  • No. 8 – San Diego, California
  • No. 9 – Dallas
  • No. 10 – Austin, Texas
  • No. 11 - Jacksonville, Florida
  • No. 12 - San Jose, California
  • No. 13 - Fort Worth, Texas
  • No. 14 - Columbus, Ohio
  • No. 15 - Charlotte, North Carolina

Greatest housing growth
The report also discovered that housing inventory skyrocketed by 1.6 million units between 2021 and 2022. Texas had the third fastest housing growth with a rate of 2.3 percent, versus Utah, which had the fastest growth at 3.3 percent.

In addition to Harris County, the only other Texas county that made the top five for the highest housing growth was Travis (No. 3).

The full report can be found on census.gov.

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

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