If you’re a tech leader watching key people walk out the door with little warning, you’re not alone.

It's careers Q&A day where we give you some personal attention by answering your questions. Today's question comes from Chris, who works in the tech world: "How do we stop unexpected resignations in tech?"

What we cover: Most resignations aren't truly unexpected — by the time someone hands in their notice, they've likely been disengaging for months, quietly interviewing elsewhere, and feeling stagnant or undervalued. The decision has been brewing long before it lands.

Tech is particularly vulnerable: high demand, high mobility, remote working, and constant recruitment pressure all thin the emotional ties that keep great people in place. But at the root of most "surprise" resignations is a simple absence of good dialogue about growth, progress, and the future.

Stop waiting for annual reviews. At a minimum, build in quarterly career check-ins — and go bold by asking questions like "if a recruiter called you tomorrow, what would tempt you to leave?" Make it a real conversation, not a tick-box exercise.

Train managers in career conversation, not just project delivery. Most tech managers were promoted for technical brilliance, not people leadership — they may need support spotting disengagement signals, handling ambition without getting defensive, and creating growth pathways beyond the management track.

Make internal mobility easier than external mobility. In many tech businesses, it's actually easier to move to a different company than to a different team — and that needs to change. Visible internal opportunities, secondments, cross-functional projects, and job swaps all help people see a future without having to resign to find one.

The goal isn't zero resignations — some turnover is healthy. The goal is zero surprises. If a resignation feels like a shock, the real issue is that the conversation should have happened six months earlier.

Send your questions: Email or voicenote to pod@thecareerequation.com

Links: 

Career Conversations Guide: https://www.thecareerequation.com/career-conversations-guide 

Book an intro call: https://www.thecareerequation.com/book-intro-call 

Erica on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ericasosna 

Zoë on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/zoeschofieldcoach