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Many moons ago, I worked as a recruiter. In that role, the question that I was never able to answer satisfactorily was: Why would individuals be much more amenable to moving to a new location when the company they were employed by wanted them to relocate, but be less open to doing so as part of a new job? It occurs to me that the primary reason for the latter might be because it would involve two separations—one from the current employer and the other from the town and home they were living in. In the US, especially, employers often announce relocation and expect the employees to take a decision within days or at most a couple of weeks. But relocation is a relatively difficult decisio...

Are you truly engaged at work? Do you feel you are a good fit for the job you do? Are you passionate about what you do? Are you able to go beyond the call of duty because you want to do so? Do you feel your efforts are well recognized? Do you wake up each morning eager to go to work? If you cannot truly answer “Yes” to all of these questions, you are not really engaged. The opposite of engagement is not disengagement; it is apathy. If all you find yourself doing is clocking in your eight hour-workday and going home, feeling that you have done your day’s work and that’s it, it is truly time for you to start thinking about moving on. You are not doing anybody any good,...

As a manager, anytime an employee reporting to you announces that he is resigning, assume that it is because of something that was lacking in your role as his boss. Do not be complacent or accept his reason at face value only so that you do not lose face in the eyes of your peers or superiors. Hit the pause button and reflect on whether the reason he gives—better compensation elsewhere, better prospects—is really the correct one. Probe the matter, because if you are not doing something right and don’t take steps to fix this, chances are he’s not the only employee you’re going to lose. Also, treat the knowledge as a learning opportunity that will enable you to im...

If you have strong relationships with your employees, they will be unlikely to quit on you at what might be a crucial juncture. Furthermore, in the event that they do decide to move on for some reason, you may not be able to change their minds, but your strong relationship will ensure that they either will give you a longer lead-time or give you ample lead-time so you can backfill if required. There is no factor that can quite compete with a good relationship when it comes to employee retention.