One day, they’re your star player. The next, they’re handing in their two weeks’ notice.
If it feels sudden, it usually isn’t. The warning signs are almost always there—you just need to know where to look.
For years, leaders have fretted over “quiet quitting,” when employees disengage and do the bare minimum. Gallup estimates half the workforce falls into that category. But the bigger risk isn’t the coasting employees. It’s those who still perform while planning their exit, so their departure comes with little warning and greater disruption.
Preventing these “quiet resignations” isn’t about stemming low engagement. It’s about keeping your best people so challenged, valued, and supported that leaving never feels like the better option.
Why Star Employees Leave Quietly
A paycheck alone won’t keep top performers. They want growth, recognition, and flexibility. When those expectations fall short, they start looking elsewhere.
Sixty-three percent of employees who quit cited limited advancement opportunities. Forty-five percent pointed to a lack of flexibility, a figure likely to rise as return-to-office mandates spread. Nearly half of remote workers say they’d resign if forced back full-time.
High performers rarely wait for conditions to improve. They network actively, interview confidently, and can point to measurable achievements that make them instantly attractive to other employers. Their career momentum doesn’t pause, even if they continue to deliver results for your team.
Subtle Warning Signs You Might Miss
The signs of quiet quitting are often clear, with employees failing to turn in work on time or being late to meetings. Quiet resignation is rarely so obvious. It begins with small shifts you might not immediately notice.
High performers are typically visible, ambitious, and deeply connected. When those traits start to fade, it’s time to pay closer attention. Look for patterns like these:
- They become less visible, working remotely more often, taking extra PTO, or withdrawing in meetings.
- Their drive slows. They stop volunteering for stretch projects or pushing for career advancement like they once did.
- They pull back from the team, stepping away from mentoring, coaching, or the culture-building roles they used to embrace.
- Their social connections wane. Lunches, hallway conversations, and even casual interactions that once energized them gradually disappear.
- They ask fewer questions in your 1:1s. Where they once lingered to dive into business strategy or brainstorm ways to engage the team, they now have nothing to ask—and seem eager to rush off to their next meeting.
Any one change alone may not be cause for alarm. But when these shifts appear together, it’s a clear sign that a high performer is already halfway out the door.
What Not to Do
Even well-intentioned interventions can backfire. Some common missteps push top performers further out the door instead of keeping them engaged.
The first mistake is ignoring the signs. Silence rarely equals satisfaction. Many employees hold back frustrations because speaking up feels risky.
The second mistake is criticism. Punishing a pullback doesn’t re-engage your star. It shuts them down further. Employees who receive meaningful feedback are far more engaged and far less likely to leave their roles.
Finally, don’t ask others if they’ve noticed something’s off. Even well-intentioned probing tends to get back to the employee—and it rarely lands well.
The trick is to be proactive rather than reactive, creating the kind of environment where concerns surface early and openly.
Proactive Strategies to Re-Engage High Performers
Retention isn’t about scrambling when the resignation letter arrives. It’s about taking notice of your employees, creating a culture of value, and acting before disengagement becomes resignation. Here’s how to keep your MVP talent engaged and committed:
- Conduct quarterly “stay interviews.” Ask what’s working well and what could improve. Encourage honest feedback and make constructive dialogue safe and welcome.
- Recognize invisible work. Celebrate contributions like culture-building, emotional support, and DEI leadership. Only one in three workers received recognition in the past week. Don’t let your stars go unnoticed.
- Offer stretch assignments. Challenging work fuels engagement and growth. Companies that invest in development are twice as likely to retain employees.
- Clarify promotion pathways. Make advancement criteria transparent and attainable. Regularly communicate the steps employees need to take to reach the next level.
- Sponsor visibility. Advocate for top performers internally and externally, ensuring their work and potential are seen by leadership and peers.
- Mentor or provide a career sponsor. Support their “Career Board of Directors” to strengthen commitment and guide long-term growth.
- Ask the energizing question: “What would make you feel 10% more energized at work right now?” Simple, focused, and actionable insights often come from this one conversation.
- Be flexible. Every one of your team members has different needs—whether it’s school pickup, a doctor’s appointment or something personal they’d rather not discuss. Prioritize giving them space to care for themselves and their families while maintaining expectations for great work.
Retention is a Daily Leadership Habit
Quiet resignation doesn’t happen overnight. It builds slowly, in patterns of disengagement that leaders either notice or miss.
Managers account for 70% of the variance in engagement. That means you have more influence than you realize. Don’t wait for the exit interview to learn what mattered most.
Spot the signals early. Show recognition often. Make staying not just the safe choice, but the best one.