Source: HR.BLR.com
While an employee who is an average performer rarely considers leaving his or her job during a difficult economic period, high-potential employees do, according to research by Sirota Survey Intelligence.

The firm has found that the actions taken by employers during a recession can start a process that unintentionally devalues employees (by seeing them as costs to be controlled, rather than assets to be valued). For example, many companies will centralize decision-making, control information, reduce entrepreneurial risk-taking, and reduce (or eliminate) discretionary rewards–and this makes it more likely that high performers will defect.

“Programs for high-potential employees often seek to involve them in the strategic decision-making, challenge their abilities, develop/advance them quickly, and recognize/reward them generously,” said Douglas Klein, President of Sirota. “The business choices many companies make when responding to a recession can frustrate all of those goals.”
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