Why Your High Potential Employees Leave & Tips to Retain Them

While 16% of Gen Z and Millennial employees left a job because of inadequate technology, many left the workplace due to inhabitable culture. Losing employees to turnover is never good - but it’s excruciating when one of your top performers decides to leave. Retaining top talent is vital for your team's and your business's success. But it’s increasingly difficult to do so these days.

Menurut kaji selidik baru-baru ini terhadap 2,500 pekerja AS, hampir separuh merancang untuk mencari pekerjaan pada tahun 2023-termasuk 60% pekerja Gen Z dan 56% milenium.

Why do high potential employees leave? Why are so many top performers so unhappy in their current roles? If you don’t know why they’re leaving, you’re already behind in the battle to get them to stay.

5 Signs a top performer is leaving

Losing a high-performing employee can disrupt workflows, impact team morale, and create costly hiring challenges. While some resignations come as a surprise, there are often warning signs before a top performer decides to leave. Recognizing these signals early allows businesses to retain their best talent proactively.

1. Decreased engagement and enthusiasm

Top performers are usually passionate about their work, taking initiative and driving results. A sudden drop in enthusiasm—less participation in meetings, avoiding extra responsibilities, or showing disinterest in company goals—can indicate disengagement. Employees who stop contributing ideas or seem indifferent to feedback may already be mentally checked out.

2. Lower productivity and missed deadlines

High achievers are known for exceeding expectations. If their output drops, they procrastinate more than usual, or they start missing deadlines, it could signal a shift in priorities. This often happens when employees begin to detach emotionally from their role or focus their energy on job hunting.

3. Increased absences or frequent breaks

A noticeable change in attendance—more sick days, extended lunch breaks, or sudden requests for time off—can be a red flag. While occasional absences are normal, a consistent pattern may indicate that they’re attending interviews, networking, or simply disengaging from their current role.

4. Lack of interest in long-term projects

When an employee avoids committing to future initiatives or leadership roles they would typically embrace, it’s a sign they don’t see themselves staying. If they seem uninterested in career development conversations or dismiss discussions about future goals, they may already have one foot out the door.

5. Changes in attitude and communication

A top performer who once engaged in open discussions may become distant, less responsive, or even frustrated with leadership and colleagues. If they stop contributing to team conversations, withdraw from social interactions, or voice dissatisfaction with company policies, they might be considering an exit.

Sebab pekerja berpotensi tinggi anda pergi

Mari lihat enam sebab mudah mengapa pekerja terbaik anda berhenti.

1. Anda tidak memenuhi jangkaan mereka untuk faedah.

Prestasi terbaik anda menghargai ganjaran berdasarkan merit dan pampasan yang baik - itu tidak begitu berbeza dengan kebanyakan pekerja. Tetapi mereka juga tahu bahawa mereka mempunyai kemahiran untuk memenuhi keperluan tersebut di tempat lain jika syarikat anda tidak menyediakan cukup.

Kajian SAP-Oxford mendapati bahawa penghibur tinggi sangat menghargai faedah tertentu:

• Jadual yang fleksibel
• Masa percutian
• Pelan persaraan
• Latihan

If you’re not providing a wide range of benefits that reward your highest-performing employees, they’re likely to look elsewhere for them. And they’re likely to find a good enough offer to tempt them to leave. This is the number one reason that good employees quit.

Dan jika anda berharap anda boleh memerah beberapa tahun lagi daripada penghibur tinggi dengan ganjaran yang sangat kreatif kerana anda tidak mempunyai anggaran untuk membayar mereka apa yang mereka bernilai?

For example, American Express offers flexible working arrangements to some employees, like top performers, to work on their schedule. And Salesforce offers extensive continued training and leadership development opportunities to build their internal talent teams and keep top employees.

2. Mereka tidak mendapati kerja cukup menarik.

Anda mungkin membuat kesilapan memikirkan bahawa pemain terbaik anda terlibat kerana mereka sangat produktif dan bekerja keras - bagaimana mereka boleh melakukan semua yang mereka lakukan jika mereka tidak begitu terlibat?

Tetapi sebenarnya, mereka mungkin kurang terlibat daripada yang anda anggap. Dan jika anda tidak berusaha keras untuk melibatkan mereka, itu mungkin berlaku.

Mengapa penting untuk melibatkan penghibur tinggi? Kerana musuh terbesar mereka adalah kebosanan.

• Sekiranya mereka cemerlang dalam pekerjaan jauh melebihi apa yang dilakukan oleh orang lain dalam pasukan, mereka akhirnya mungkin bosan melakukan tugas yang sama.
• Atau, jika mereka dikelilingi oleh persekitaran kerja yang tidak stabil (atau lebih teruk lagi, pasukan yang penuh dengan prestasi kurang baik), mereka boleh mula berasa tersekat dan melihat sekeliling untuk peranan lain dalam pasukan yang lebih pada tahap mereka.

Don’t forget to look at their managers to see if that’s a negative engagement factor. Behavioral statistician Joseph Folkman noted that employees who work for uninspiring and flawed leaders are only in the 9th percentile for satisfaction and happiness.

Jika penghibur teratas anda terjebak dengan pengurus yang buruk dan organisasi anda tidak melakukan apa-apa mengenainya, mereka akan terlepas dan memulakan carian kerja.

You can engage high performers by giving them more challenging and creative tasks and focusing on the “why.” That helps keep things fresh and exciting and prevents them from jumping ship to a more exciting shop.

3. Pembangunan kerjaya mereka adalah terhad.

Penghibur teratas anda tahu bahawa mereka mempunyai banyak potensi menarik dalam kerjaya mereka di hadapan mereka jika mereka berada di syarikat yang betul.

Sangat sedikit yang lebih mengecewakan seseorang yang berprestasi di puncak mereka dan membuat sumbangan besar kepada syarikat daripada berulang kali diserahkan untuk promosi atau merana dalam peranan yang sama terlalu lama.

Satu lagi sebab mengapa pekerja yang baik meninggalkan adalah jika orang terbaik anda tidak melihat bagaimana mereka boleh mempunyai kerjaya yang panjang dan berjaya di syarikat anda, mereka akan keluar dari pintu dalam masa yang singkat - kerana itu adalah perasaan yang sangat mengecewakan.

Are you noticing that there are few promotions for the top performers? This is what Forbes calls “the curse of competence.”

Terdapat beberapa sebab untuk ini - kadang-kadang ia hanya masalah tempat yang tidak mencukupi di bahagian atas, tetapi kadang-kadang pengurus enggan membiarkan orang yang mempunyai bakat tertinggi bergerak ke kedudukan baru.

Mereka takut kehilangan seseorang yang memberi sumbangan besar kepada jabatan mereka - tetapi meneka apa? Sekiranya anda menahan mereka dan tidak mempromosikannya, mereka akan pergi, dan sekarang mereka akan meninggalkan syarikat serta pengurus di belakang.

Bagaimanakah anda boleh membantu mereka maju dalam kerjaya mereka di syarikat anda?

• Adalah penting untuk mengadakan perbincangan pembangunan kerjaya yang kerap dengan mereka di mana anda bercakap tentang matlamat mereka dan bagaimana mereka boleh mencapainya di perniagaan anda.
• Latihan berterusan juga sangat dihargai oleh pemain terbaik - adakah anda memberi mereka peluang untuk mengembangkan kemahiran baru?
• Jika anda telah melihat corak pekerja berprestasi tinggi meninggalkan kerana kekecewaan laluan kerjaya, ini adalah tempat untuk pasukan senior anda memikirkan bagaimana anda boleh memberi ruang untuk pertumbuhan bagi orang yang anda mahu simpan.

4. Mereka terlalu banyak bekerja dan terbakar.

Sekiranya ganjaran untuk orang terbaik anda menjadi sangat produktif adalah untuk menuai lebih banyak kerja di atas pinggan mereka, itu adalah resipi untuk rasa tidak puas hati dan keletihan.

Bagaimanakah anda memberi ganjaran kepada produktiviti yang lebih tinggi ini dalam pekerja utama anda?

• Anda harus mempunyai pilihan untuk pampasan yang mengakui sumbangan mereka melebihi dan seterusnya.
• You should also look into flexible work options for them, so when they do an excellent job, they can have the option to take time off to recharge and relax. Raytheon offers compressed workweeks, job sharing, flextime, telecommuting, and more to attract and retain top employees.

Memberi ganjaran kepada pemain terbaik dengan secukupnya boleh menjadi sukar dalam masa kewangan yang lebih ketat. Walau bagaimanapun, SHRM mendapati bahawa ia masih penting, dan ada cara untuk menjadikannya berfungsi - mengukir bonus berasingan atau menaikkan kumpulan untuk pemain teratas, memberikan kenaikan merit tambahan dalam setahun, atau memberikan bonus sekaligus sekali.

Pasti, ia memerlukan masa dan wang untuk melakukan ini - tetapi berapa banyak perniagaan anda akan hilang jika seorang lagi pelaku tinggi meninggalkan?

5. Mereka tidak mempunyai autonomi yang mencukupi.

Penghibur teratas tahu bahawa mereka pandai dalam pekerjaan mereka. Mereka tahu mereka sangat produktif, mereka tahu mereka mempunyai kemahiran yang berharga, dan mereka tahu mereka boleh dipercayai untuk melakukan kerja mereka tepat pada masanya dan melakukannya dengan baik. Itulah sebabnya mereka benar-benar tidak suka berasa micromanaged.

Dari yang terbaik kepada yang tidak begitu hebat, semua pekerja ingin merasakan rasa autonomi dan tujuan di tempat kerja. Dan jika sesiapa telah memperoleh hak untuk itu, penghibur tinggi anda pasti ada.

Mereka tidak memerlukan seseorang yang berlegar dan menghalangnya - mereka mahu dipercayai untuk melakukan kerja dengan baik dan merasakan rasa pemilikan, tidak ada kewajipan.

Jadi bagaimana anda harus melayan pemain terbaik yang berharga ini?

• Beritahu mereka apa yang perlu dilakukan dan percayai mereka untuk melakukannya.
• Ini boleh bermakna walaupun memberi mereka pilihan jadual fleksibel yang tidak tersedia untuk pekerja lain - kerana, dengan orang teratas anda, anda sudah tahu bahawa mereka akan menyelesaikan tugas mereka tepat pada masanya dan dengan kecemerlangan.

Give them your trust, and you’ll get their loyalty. For example, Ritz-Carlton offers each employee the option to delight guests at the cost of up to $2,000 per day, with complete autonomy.

Ini meningkatkan kepuasan pekerja, serta kesetiaan pelanggan. Ini berlaku untuk jadual kerja mereka juga - prestasi terbaik sangat menghargai fleksibiliti dalam kapan dan bagaimana mereka bekerja.

The Boston College Center for Work & Family says that workers who have more access to flexible work arrangements report greater job satisfaction, significantly better mental health than other employees, and are more likely to be committed to their employers.

6. Mereka tidak merasa dihargai.

Semua orang mahu merasa dihargai dan dihargai di tempat kerja - ia adalah keperluan asas manusia, dan itulah sebabnya pengiktirafan sangat penting di tempat kerja. Dan sangat mudah untuk mengambil apa yang dilakukan oleh pemain terbaik anda apabila mereka telah melakukannya untuk masa yang lama - dan menjadikan tugas sukar kelihatan mudah.

Ini adalah salah satu sebab utama pekerja yang baik berhenti. Jika satu-satunya ganjaran yang diperoleh oleh pemain terbaik anda untuk pergi ke atas dan seterusnya adalah semakin banyak kerja yang bertimbun di atas pinggan mereka - itu bukan ganjaran. Mereka tidak merasa dihargai - mereka merasa diambil kesempatan dan tidak bermotivasi.

Jadi bagaimana anda mengenali pelakon terbaik anda? Bonus tahunan tidak akan memotongnya - pengiktirafan perlu kerap dan spesifik (dan kadang-kadang kecil) untuk memberi kesan.

If you only reward employees based on their tenure at your company or have a pay structure based on role, not the outcome, top performers will feel overlooked and undervalued. And then they’re going to leave.

5 Tips to retain high-potential employees

High-potential employees bring innovation, leadership, and long-term value to an organization. Losing them not only disrupts workflows but also creates recruitment and training costs that could have been avoided. Retaining top talent requires a proactive approach that keeps them motivated, challenged, and invested in the company's future. Here’s how businesses can create an environment that encourages high-potential employees to stay and grow.

1. Offer clear career growth paths

High-potential employees are driven by ambition and want to see a future within the company. Without clear career progression, they may look for opportunities elsewhere. Providing structured career paths, mentorship programs, and leadership training helps them visualize long-term growth.

Regular career discussions, skill development programs, and internal promotions ensure employees see a roadmap for success. Knowing their hard work leads to new opportunities makes them more likely to stay engaged and committed.

2. Recognize and reward performance

Recognition plays a significant role in retention. When employees feel their efforts go unnoticed, motivation fades. Implementing structured rewards and recognition programs like Empuls helps businesses appreciate and celebrate top performers in meaningful ways.

Recognition doesn’t always have to be monetary. Public appreciation, peer-to-peer recognition, and career advancement opportunities reinforce a culture of acknowledgment. Whether through bonuses, promotions, or even small but thoughtful rewards, employees who feel valued remain loyal to the organization.

3. Provide challenging and meaningful work

High-potential employees seek challenges that allow them to use their skills, think critically, and make an impact. Repetitive, uninspiring tasks lead to disengagement, while meaningful projects keep them motivated.

Encourage them to take ownership of projects, participate in decision-making, and contribute ideas that shape business strategy. Giving them autonomy over their work while ensuring it aligns with their career goals boosts both engagement and productivity. Employees who feel their contributions matter are more likely to stay invested in the company’s success.

4. Foster a positive workplace culture

A workplace where employees feel supported, connected, and included fosters long-term commitment. Positive work environments encourage collaboration, open communication, and a sense of belonging.

Encourage social interactions and team bonding through platforms like Empuls’ social intranet software, where employees can engage, celebrate milestones, and stay connected—even in hybrid or remote settings. When employees feel emotionally connected to their workplace, they are less likely to seek external opportunities.

5. Support work-life balance

Burnout is a major cause of turnover, especially among high-potential employees who take on more responsibilities. A work culture that prioritizes well-being keeps employees refreshed, motivated, and productive in the long run.

Encourage flexible work arrangements, mental health initiatives, and reasonable workloads to prevent burnout. Offering benefits such as wellness stipends, paid time off, and remote work options shows employees that their well-being is valued. A company that respects work-life balance retains employees who feel energized and committed.

Retaining high-potential employees requires more than just a paycheck. Career growth, meaningful recognition, challenging work, a strong workplace culture, and work-life balance create an environment where top talent thrives. Platforms like Empuls help businesses implement structured engagement strategies, ensuring employees stay motivated, committed, and eager to contribute to long-term success.

Retaining your best talent with Empuls

High-potential employees leave when they feel undervalued, unchallenged, or disconnected. A competitive salary alone won’t keep them—the culture, recognition, and growth opportunities matter. This is where Empuls steps in.

• Make recognition a habit: Top performers thrive on appreciation. Empuls ensures consistent and meaningful recognition, reinforcing their value and contributions.
• Offer meaningful rewards: A generic bonus won’t cut it. Empuls provides personalized rewards that align with employees’ preferences, making them feel truly appreciated.
• Give them a voice: Employees who feel unheard start looking elsewhere. Empuls’ survey tool captures real feedback, helping leaders address concerns before they turn into resignations.
• Build a connected culture: Disengagement is often rooted in isolation. Empuls’ social intranet fosters collaboration, keeping employees engaged with their teams and company vision.
• Enhance their well-being: Burnout drives top talent away. Empuls provides tax-free fringe benefits and wellness perks that help employees feel supported in every aspect of their lives.

Losing high-potential employees is costly but retaining them is simple with the right tools. Empuls helps create an environment where your best talent feels valued, heard, and motivated to stay. 

Kesimpulan

High potential employees leave when they feel undervalued, stagnant, or overworked. Lack of career growth, poor recognition, and a weak workplace culture drive them toward better opportunities. Addressing these issues early—through meaningful recognition, career development, and work-life balance—helps businesses retain top talent.

Investing in engagement strategies with Empuls can create a workplace where high-potential employees feel valued, motivated, and committed for the long run.