For managersCareer, resignation, goal setting, and more

Top Performer About to Quit? What Managers Can Do Next

Updated October 27, 2026KAKEAI, Inc.

Short answer

When a top performer seems ready to quit, we recommend sharing your own view of their future and changing how their work is assigned, rather than promising a raise or transfer that you cannot decide alone. In 300,000 1-on-1 sessions extracted from the usage data of Kakeai AI 1on1, KAKEAI's 1-on-1 service, the most common thing employees wanted from their manager on the theme "My future career" was "I want to hear your opinion," at 16.6% of sessions on that theme. In your next meeting, raise their future work yourself and agree together on one task to give them and one to take off their plate.

By the numbers

In usage data from Kakeai AI 1on1, KAKEAI's 1-on-1 service, employees discussing their career wanted their manager's opinion more often than they wanted to be listened to. Yet in KAKEAI's survey of 10,000 employees in Japan, only 27.7% said they talk about their career in meetings with their manager. In your next meeting, we recommend raising their future work yourself and sharing your view.

16.6%: Kakeai AI 1on1 usage data; Share of sessions on the theme "My future career" where employees chose "I want to hear your opinion" as what they wanted from their manager; This was the most common choice on the theme. "I want us to think it through together" was 16.4%, and "I want you to listen" was 7.6%. In career conversations, employees want their manager's view, or to think it through together, more than they want to be heard.
27.7%: 10,000-person survey; Share of respondents who said they talk about "career" in meetings with their manager (multiple answers allowed); 76.7% said they talk about "specific work." Far fewer people talk about their career than about their work.
6.1%: 10,000-person survey; Share of meeting time with their manager spent on "My future career" (average of respondents' answers); "Specific work" took up 47.2% of the time. Compared with work, very little time goes to career.

Neither the survey of 10,000 employees nor the usage data looked at turnover, and neither is limited to top performers. The 16.6% is a share of all sessions on the theme "My future career," including sessions where nothing was chosen for what the employee wanted from their manager.

Source: KAKEAI, Inc. “1-on-1 Survey” (N=10,000, May 2026, online survey of employees in Japan)

The survey asked 10,000 employees in Japan who meet their manager regularly how those meetings feel from their side.

Source: KAKEAI, Inc. “Kakeai AI 1on1 usage data” (records of 300,000 1-on-1 sessions extracted from sessions held between October 12, 2025 and October 3, 2026, aggregated so that no company or individual can be identified)

What a manager can offer on their own when a top performer may quit

When a top performer seems ready to leave, there are two things you can offer on your own authority: your honest view of where this person is headed, and changes to their work that are within your control.

On this page, a top performer means someone who reliably delivers what they are given and whom others depend on. That includes the people called the "star" or the "go-to person" on a team. When you want to keep someone like this, raises, promotions, and transfers come to mind first. But none of them are yours alone to decide.

Look at 300,000 1-on-1 sessions extracted from the usage data of Kakeai AI 1on1, KAKEAI's service that supports 1-on-1 meetings, for the theme "My future career" chosen before a 1-on-1. The most common thing employees said they wanted from their manager was "I want to hear your opinion," at 16.6% of sessions on this theme. "I want us to think it through together" came next at 16.4%, and "I want you to listen" was 7.6%.

KAKEAI's survey of 10,000 employees in Japan points the same way. When asked to pick up to five things they want from their manager in one-on-one meetings, the most common answer was "I want to hear your opinion," at 33.6%. "I want you to listen" was 20.8%. That result covers meetings in general, not only career talks, but in both sets of data, people wanted their manager's opinion more than they wanted to be heard.

What you can do is give this person your own view and a real change to their work before they make a decision, so they have that to weigh.

Why the future rarely comes up with top performers

The future rarely comes up because their work is going well. A meeting can end with a status update and "Keep it up." If neither of you raises it, session after session goes by without any talk about next steps or career.

Think back over your meetings this past month. Where did most of the time go? Probably to projects with tight deadlines or work that was stuck. Meanwhile, if you kept handing urgent quotes and difficult customer inquiries to the person who always gets them done, work has been piling up on that person. If you now feel "We can't afford to lose them," that concentration of work is the result of how you assigned it.

In KAKEAI's survey of 10,000 employees in Japan, 76.7% said they talk about "specific work" in meetings with their manager, while only 27.7% said they talk about "career" (multiple answers allowed). On average, "My future career" took up 6.1% of meeting time. These figures are not limited to top performers, but far fewer people discuss their career than discuss their work.

In Kakeai AI 1on1 usage data, 11.4% of themes chosen before a 1-on-1 were "My future career." Among the preset themes, only "Work progress and how to proceed" was chosen more often. Since employees are usually the ones choosing the theme, career is a topic they actually want to discuss.

When meetings keep ending with updates and thanks, the employee gets more work and more appreciation, but still has no idea what they will be given next term or how you see their future. Job postings from other companies, on the other hand, spell out the work they want to hand over. If you never put the same thing into words, then when this person weighs staying against leaving, the only concrete offer in front of them may be the outside one.

"Thanks, that really helps" and "Great job, as always" are thanks for finished work. They are not the same as your opinion about what you want to give them next. With top performers, what is usually missing is not appreciation but that opinion. You do not need to talk less about current work. Just let the conversation about this work continue into a conversation about the next.

Five things to do in your next meeting with a top performer who may quit

In your next meeting, raise the topic of their future work yourself, share your view, and change one thing about how work is assigned. You can change the order of the five steps below to fit the person. Avoid places where others can overhear. If you cannot get a private room, reschedule.

1. Before the meeting, write down four things

The work and moments in the past six months where this person's strengths showed most
The work you want to give them over the next six months
Work you can take off their plate on your own authority
Things you cannot decide alone (pay, level, transfer) and who you would need to check with

If you cannot fill in the second item, talk with your own manager about next term's assignments before you look for words to keep them. If you say "I'd like you to stay" without knowing what you want them to take on, it tends to sound like the current workload will simply continue.

2. Open the meeting by saying you want to talk about the future

Today, before we go over progress, I'd like to talk about your future work.
Lately I've only been handing you tasks, and we haven't had this conversation.
First, could you tell me what's on your mind these days? If you haven't sorted it out yet, I can start with my thoughts.

We do not recommend asking "Are you planning to leave?" Because you have a say in this person's evaluation, someone who is still undecided will find it hard to answer honestly. Instead of asking whether they will leave, ask what kind of work they want to try next.

You may worry that bringing up the future will make things awkward. Kakeai AI 1on1 usage data includes a "clarity score" that employees give each 1-on-1 afterward, on a six-point scale from 0 to 5. Among sessions where the employee submitted a score, 66.2% of sessions on the theme "My future career" scored 4 or higher. For sessions on "Work progress and how to proceed," it was 61.7%. Career sessions had a slightly higher share of scores of 4 or higher. Neither figure is limited to sessions where the manager raised the topic.

3. Share your view, tied to specific facts about their work

On last month's big quote, you picked up early on the client's budget change and got the resubmission done in one round.
I think that way of working is your biggest strength.
Next term, I'd like you to take on proposals to new clients, starting from the first visit. What do you think?
If I've got this wrong, please tell me.

Your view does not have to be right. If they say "Actually, that's not it," you have just learned what they really think.

4. Agree on one task to take off their plate and one to give them, with timing

Right now, first-line customer inquiries are mostly landing on you. I'd like to switch to a rotation starting on the 1st of next month. How does that sound?
With the time that frees up, could you start preparing proposals for new clients? I'll join the first meeting with you.
If there's other work you'd like to hand off, let me know.

Avoid adding new work without deciding what comes off their plate. If the load only grows, even "I have high expectations for you" tends to sound like "more work for you."

5. For what you cannot decide alone, say who you will check with and when you will answer

Pay, level, and transfers aren't mine alone to decide, so I can't make any promises here today.
I'll check with HR on what it takes to move up a level and tell you what I've learned by Friday.

Even if the answer is "Nothing changes this term," tell them on Friday as promised.

First words for each situation

What you say first depends on whether the person has said nothing yet, has voiced doubts, or is already talking with another company.

Situation	What you may want to say, but should avoid	Your first words
They haven't said anything, but you sense they may leave	Are you planning to leave?	Today, I'd like to talk about your future work.
They said, "I've been wondering if I should stay on this path"	Come on, we're counting on you	Thank you for telling me. Can you tell me what you're thinking right now?
You heard another company has approached them	We'll look at your package too	Thanks for letting me know. When do you need to give them an answer?
You know they are unhappy with pay or level	I'll make sure you get a raise next time	I can't make promises here, but let me tell you what I can do.
Too much work has piled up on them	It's just for now, please hang in there a little longer	I'm the one who kept giving you more. Shall we decide together today what to hand off?

When they haven't said anything, but you sense they may leave

Rather than waiting to see, we recommend moving up your next meeting and raising the future yourself. Even if a coworker told you they might leave, do not say "I heard from so-and-so." Start from the work you have been asking them to do.

Over the past six months, I've kept handing you difficult quotes. Today I'd like to talk about your work for next term.
Is there any work you'd like to try next term? If nothing comes to mind yet, I can share my ideas.

When they say, "I've been wondering if I should stay on this path"

It is fine if some meetings end with you simply listening. But if they were hoping for your view or for action and you only say "I see," they will likely feel that talking to you changed nothing. Ask what they think first, then share your own view in concrete terms.

Thank you for telling me. Could you tell me a bit more about what you're thinking?
What's weighing on you most: the kind of work, the amount of work, or how you're evaluated? If something about how I work with you is part of it, please tell me that too.
Let me share my view as well. I get the sense that the quoting work has become too easy for you. Next, I'd like you to own things from the proposal stage.
The decision is yours. Before you make it, I'll tell you what I can change on my side by next Tuesday.

When you hear another company has approached them, or they are job hunting

Avoid competing with the other company on terms. Some advice says to beat the other offer, but you cannot set salary or title on your own. Ask when they need to answer the other company, and tell them what you can offer before that date.

Thanks for letting me know. When do you need to give them an answer?
I'm not able to compare offers. What I can tell you is the work I'd like you to take on next term and the work we'd hand to someone else. I'll put it together for you by Thursday.
Whatever you decide after seeing that, I'll respect it.

If the conversation turns to a last day or resignation procedures, do not answer on your own judgment. Check your company's employment policies and talk with HR.

When you know they are unhappy with pay or level

Thank you for being open with me about pay. I can't decide that alone, though, so I can't make a promise here.
What I can do is write up your work accurately, as facts, at the next review. For this term's big quotes, I'll record the number and what they involved, just as they were.
If you're okay with it, I'll share today's conversation with HR and my manager. I'll tell you what I've learned by Friday.

When too much work has piled up on them

I'm the one who kept asking you to take on the hard work. And I haven't taken anything else off your plate.
Between first-line customer inquiries and being the go-to person for new hires' questions, which would you rather hand off first?
I'd like to change who handles it starting on the 1st of next month. I'll talk to the person taking it over.

If they mention their health, first say "Thank you for telling me," and avoid guessing at a diagnosis or a cause. Review together which deadlines you can extend on your own authority, and connect them with your occupational health contact or HR.

What to avoid when trying to keep a top performer

Avoid two things: promises you cannot make on your own, and ending the conversation without sharing your own view.

Promising a raise, promotion, or transfer to keep them. Only say what you can decide yourself, plus the day you will get back to them after checking.
Ending with "We'd be in trouble without you" or "We're counting on you." Being in trouble is your situation and the team's. From those words alone, the person cannot tell whether their work will change next month. If you say it, follow up right away with the work you want to give them and the work you will take off their plate.
Deciding in advance that you will only listen. Some advice says to hear out every complaint first, but KAKEAI does not recommend deciding ahead of time that you will only listen. Some meetings can end with listening. But if they wanted your view and you give none, and their work does not change, they have nothing new to base a decision on. The opposite is a problem too: talking the whole time and ending without hearing what they think.
Starting with dinner or after-work drinks to build the relationship. Simply moving the conversation somewhere else does not settle what they will take on next term or how to rebalance an overloaded plate. If you invite them out, do it after you have changed one thing about their work in a meeting.
Putting it off with "Let's talk when things calm down." While you wait, work keeps piling up on this person. Even 15 minutes is enough. Make time to talk this week.

In KAKEAI's survey of 10,000 employees in Japan, 6.2% named "My manager doesn't act on what we discussed or doesn't keep promises" as a problem with their meetings. Among those people, 23.2% felt their meetings led to results, below the 31.9% of all respondents.

If you mention a raise or a transfer to keep someone and then cannot deliver, what you say in later meetings will likely be harder for them to trust.

How to look back on how you handled it

Do not judge your response by whether they stayed. Whether to leave is their decision. After the meeting, look back on your time together with these three questions.

After you shared your view, did you take time to hear what they think?
Did the two of you agree on what to take off their plate and what to give them, including when it starts?
When you said "I'll get back to you on Friday," did you do so on that day, including telling them what turned out not to be possible?

In the meeting after you change their work, start by asking how it went.

It's been two weeks since we moved customer inquiries to a rotation. Has it actually freed up time?
Is anything getting stuck in the proposal prep? If there's something that would move if I stepped in, let me know.

If you have shared your view and offered real changes to their work and they still decide to leave, they made that choice with everything they needed to weigh. Keep talking about the work as usual until their last day.

What Kakeai AI 1on1 can do in this situation

When 1-on-1s with a high-performing team member keep ending with updates and thanks, or when you want to be the one to bring up their future work, Kakeai AI 1on1 can help in these ways.

Before the 1-on-1

Choosing a topic and the response you'd like
Before a 1-on-1, the team member can choose the topic they want to discuss and how they would like their manager to respond (the expected response). Depending on your settings, managers can choose topics too. The selections appear on both of your screens.
Advice on how to bring up what you want to say, and key points
If you enter something you want to bring up with your team member in the "Things to Tell Your Team Member" field and save it, the "Pre-1-on-1 AI Advice" is rewritten to reflect it. What you enter is not shown on your team member's screen.

Day to day

A roundup of the conversations and progress from your 1-on-1s
The "Overview" screen shows counts from the past 6 months of 1-on-1s: topics discussed, new topics that came up, next steps that came up, and next steps carried out. You both see the same content.
Summaries and next steps in one place
The summary of each 1-on-1 is collected on the "Schedule & History" screen, and the next steps you decided are collected on the "MOVE" screen, organized by each person you meet with. You can look back at them anytime.

Kakeai AI 1on1 is currently available in Japanese. If you would like to use it in English, let us know.

Used by 600+ companies / 3,000,000+ 1-on-1s supported

Frequently asked questions

A top performer told me they are thinking about changing jobs. Is it okay to talk about salary or title to keep them?

We do not recommend promising salary or a title to keep a top performer, because raises and promotions are not yours alone to decide. Tell them, "I can't decide that alone, so I'll check with HR and get back to you on Friday." Then, right there, agree together on one change to their work that is within your control.

Too much work is landing on my top performer. Should I reduce their workload so they don't leave?

If work is piling up on a top performer, choose one task to take off their plate together with them, and decide when the change starts. At the same time, tell them one thing you want them to take on with the time that frees up. Cutting their workload alone tends to leave them unsure what they can actually do here going forward.

My top performer may leave, and I have no one to replace them. Can I tell them "We can't afford to lose you right now"?

"We can't afford to lose you right now" tells them about your situation and the team's, and it gives them little to weigh about their own future. Having no successor is a problem for you to solve with your own manager or HR. With the person who may leave, we recommend sharing the work you want to give them next term and the work you will take off their plate, along with the timing.

If I bring up career in a 1-on-1, won't that push my top performer to start thinking about leaving?

There is no data on whether talking about career in a 1-on-1 prompts someone to change jobs. But if you avoid the topic, your view never becomes part of what they weigh when thinking about their future. When you raise it, start by asking what kind of work they want to try next, not whether they plan to leave.

When I sense a direct report may quit, when should I talk to HR or my own manager?

We recommend going to HR or your own manager after you have talked with the person in a meeting. If only your guess that "they might quit" gets passed along first, their assignments or how others see them could change without their knowledge. If pay or a transfer comes up in the meeting, get their consent and then raise it the same day.

Sources and how to cite these figures