flight risk

Intermediate 👥 Human Resources

Definition

An employee likely to quit soon, typically identified by updating their LinkedIn profile, taking lots of PTO, or suddenly dressing better for work. HR's version of reading tea leaves, but with resume updates.

Example Usage

Maria's definitely a flight risk—she's had three mysterious 'dentist appointments' during lunch hours this month.

Origin

Borrowed from legal terminology where it describes defendants likely to flee before trial; adapted to HR in the 1990s

Fun Fact

Some companies now use predictive analytics and AI to identify flight risks before employees even start job hunting, which is either proactive or creepy depending on your perspective.

Source: Modern HR retention terminology

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