We have all looked on in dismay as someone announces that one of their most valuable employees just resigned and how surprised and betrayed they feel.  For an instant you look around, feeling clairvoyant – am I the only one that saw this coming. Outlined below are some things that companies and managers are doing in order to be better prepared.  I am not necessarily recommending these tactics.  There are some ethical and legal issues that must be weighed before some of these tactics are implemented.

First, make it a habit to be well informed: 

1. Ask members of your team, one-on-one, who they think is at risk of leaving and why?
2. Develop an understanding with each of your employees that they will come to you first and talk about issues before they enter the job market.
3. Court the “office gossip” and ask them who they think might be leaving?
4. Develop a quid pro quo with peers to give you a heads up on potential resignations and vise versa.
5. Develop a relationship with appropriate personnel within your benefits department to notify you when employees ask “quitting questions” (i.e. How long do benefits continue? How do I exercise all my stock options? What is the process to repay all my 401k loans?)
6. Many HR departments routinely pull resumes off the internet.  Develop a relationship with the appropriate person to give you a “heads up” when they pull one of your employee’s resumes off the web. 
7. Run a blind ad and see which of your own employees respond.
8. Attend your competitor’s job fairs.
9. Ask employees about their “dream job” and what they are doing to achieve it.

Second, be aware of some key events that frequently precede a resignation:

1. Over due annual performance reviews.
2. Last child graduates or moves out of the house
3. A large amount of their stock options, grants, 401k etc vests
4. Sexual harassment.  Most victims move on regardless of the company’s actions after the fact. 
5. Public confrontation with supervisor. 
6. Mentor, friend or manager recently left.
7. A new manager is assigned.
8. Dramatic drop in company stock price putting options underwater.

Third, watch for clues that might signal that they are leaving:

1. Typically behind on expense reports, and suddenly they are caught up.
2. Typically pipeline is updated now opportunities are not being placed on pipeline.
3. Consistently messy office is now clean.
4. Personal items such as family pictures are missing from their office.
5. Uncharacteristically frequent “dressing up” for work.
6. Never taken two a week vacation before now he has one planed all the sudden.
7. Insubordination.
8. Recent death or divorce.
9. Lots of mysterious doctors appointments.
10. Increased speaking at public functions.
11. Increased volunteerism (outside the company)
12. Decreased volunteerism for internal projects or assignments.
13. Just received annual bonus.
14. Routine aspects of the job are delayed such as working past dues, filing paper work, balancing ledgers, compiling reports, preparing employee reviews, preparing budget info.

There is no panacea that will enable you to keep all the great talent that comes your way.  However, a good manager should seldom be blindsided by anything their employees do much less a resignation.  If you know who is at risk, then you have the power to take action.  In some cases, no action may in fact be the best course.  Then you can “act” surprise, disappointed and betrayed while walking them to the door.