You're not alone. Even with unemployment in the U.S. hovering around 10%, more workers are quitting their jobs than are getting fired...for the third consecutive month. And when you consider that the cost to replace an employee can excede 250% of their annual salary...well, you can see there's some nasty badness playing out in the work world sufficient for so many workers to just give up.

While some of these workers are quitting without jobs waiting for them (the current employer just being too toxic an environment), others are surely moving on to better prospects: a company with better pay, benefits, work-life balance or greater honor and respect for employees.

Note: 12% of "high-potential" employees are looking for jobs right now. How does your company plan on keeping them?

The HBR blog that exposed most of this info goes on to provide some rather vanilla ways to maintain your top talent (personalize the position and the rewards). Think outside of this box, though. Start treating your invaluable employees better. Most are over-worked and have little incentive to stay--other than just being employed during such hard times. Your task: Make all of your valued employees feel truly valued, make sure they're as happy and successful as you can help them be and give them an offer they can't refuse.

If you neglect to heed this timely warning then don't be surprised when you get a rear-view point-of-view of your best talent walking away--if not now then as soon as the job market picks up.