You’ve noticed the signs. Your key performer’s star is no longer burning so brightly. They’ve stopped putting in overtime and no longer seek you out with new ideas or to talk about the future. They are taking odd times of day off, or strange 24-hour bugs have appeared that necessitate a day off.
They seem even more attached to their smartphone than usual. You probably shouldn’t need it spelled out, but they are almost certainly in the market for a new job.
They’re leaving you — or at least thinking hard about it.
Why Star Performers Consider Leaving
Understanding the motivations behind a star performer’s departure is crucial for retention. Research by Bain & Company shows that star performers are roughly four times more productive than average performers¹, making competition for their talents understandably fierce.
1. Financial Motivations and Career Advancement
They want more money and have been receiving other offers. This is not terribly surprising given their exceptional productivity levels. This one is easily addressed: offer them more money or a promotion. If your company can’t afford a pay rise, then explain that to them but come to a compromise — perhaps a four-day week or advancement will convince them to stay.
If money or hours is all there is to it, your problem is solved. Unfortunately, this is often not the only reason they’re straying.
2. Lack of Challenge and Growth Opportunities
They’re bored. These are stars we’re talking about; they want the opportunity to shine. You need to keep star players challenged, or they will move on to more exciting pastures. Consider how you can use their skills and knowledge in a way that re-energises them without losing their wealth of experience.
Speak to them about what their personal and career goals are, and see how your company can help those happen. Perhaps they want to:
- Start a volunteer programme
- Take a sabbatical
- Work from home
- Lead new projects or initiatives
Often star performers don’t like to complain or ask for things — they’re more likely just to move on quite rapidly when they’re not content. It’s your job to find out what they want from their job to make them stay.
3. Feeling Underappreciated and Taken for Granted
You’ve started taking them for granted. They’ve been working without complaint for so long that you’ve stopped thanking them for it — you’ve unconsciously started seeing their voluntary overtime as their actual work hours.
No matter how much they enjoy the job, over time they will resent a lack of appreciation for the extra work they do — and that’s when they start opening emails from recruiters that they had previously deleted without a second thought.
This is quite easy to address:
- Affirm to them that they really don’t have to do more working hours than anyone else
- Insist that they take proper weekends
- Recognise their contributions publicly
- Provide regular feedback and appreciation
Remember: hiring a person to fill the work gap is better than losing your star performer.
4. Management Relationship Issues
Somewhere along the way, for some reason, they’ve lost faith in you as their manager. This might be fixed with an honest conversation — it might be something as small as a misunderstanding or an unintended offence.
It might be because they’re burnt out and things are bothering them that didn’t before. If you can be brave enough to ask them what’s gone wrong between you, there’s a good chance the working relationship can be salvaged.
5. Company Disillusionment
Perhaps they’ve lost faith in the company’s ability to succeed financially, or no longer have the passion for the product that they once did. Both of these situations can be turned around with a good discussion about job security or perhaps a new use of their talents within the company to re-energise them.
However, if it turns out that the employee has a moral issue with the company’s ethics or behaviour, then this is much more difficult to fix. This type of disgruntled star player can become very dangerous to your organisation, and their dissatisfaction can often become toxic to morale.
Warning Signs Your Star Employee Is Leaving
Behavioural Changes to Watch For
Recognising the signs your star employee is unhappy early can make the difference between retention and resignation. Key indicators include:
Professional Disengagement
- Reduced initiative in proposing new ideas
- Less voluntary overtime or extra effort
- Minimal participation in team meetings
- Avoiding long-term project commitments
Personal Withdrawal
- Less interaction with colleagues
- Increased phone usage (potentially taking calls from recruiters)
- Unusual time off requests or sick days
- Reluctance to discuss future plans
Frequently Asked Questions About Managing and Retaining Star Employees
How to Retain Star Employees
Star performers will generally be confident in their abilities, so they will not tolerate being unfulfilled in their job for long. Their decline from happy hardworking employee to disgruntled employee looking for the exit can be alarmingly rapid.
Keep your eyes out for the signs and have a conversation with them if you see their enthusiasm flagging. Regular one-to-ones focusing on:
- Career aspirations and development plans
- Job satisfaction and engagement levels
- Recognition of achievements and contributions
- Future opportunities within the organisation
The key to successful retention lies in proactive communication, creating meaningful growth pathways, and implementing comprehensive recognition systems that go beyond financial compensation. By addressing the root causes of dissatisfaction — whether it’s boredom, feeling underappreciated, management issues, or company disillusionment — you can often turn the situation around before it’s too late.
Remember, retaining your star employees requires ongoing attention and investment, but the cost of replacement far exceeds the effort required to keep your top talent engaged and committed to your organisation’s success.