An employee may want to resign for many reasons. Some bear more weight than others, however. When you can get a handle on an employee's main reason for wanting to resign, you can immediately address it and possibly influence the employee to change her mind about leaving the job.

Salary

Salary can be the key factor in job satisfaction for some employees. An employee may want to resign from her job in order to pursue another opportunity that will pay more. If this is your employee's reason for wanting to resign, and she's someone you wish to keep on board, ask her upfront what she desires. Or if she’s received an offer, find out what it is so that you can present a counteroffer that matches or goes beyond it to keep her.

Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance has been a top reason why employees choose to resign, according to Forbes. Often, employees want to work, but they need more flexibility in their schedules. If that's why your employee wants to resign, you may address it by offering a more flexible work schedule. For instance, offer the opportunity to work from home when necessary or to leave work early to take care of personal business.

Mismatch

Different personalities at work don't always mesh well, causing disruption and impacting employees' satisfaction. If an employee you want to keep is considering resigning because of dissatisfaction with her direct supervisor or the team she's been assigned to, consider if she can report to someone else or if she can work on another team instead.

Leave the Door Open

At times, you won't be able to stop an employee from wanting to resign and acting on it, but leave the door open for a return. Many times, former employees leave only to discover they're not better off at their new job, and they wish to come back. Leave a return as an option for the employee by stating, "Our door is always open to you," and continue to maintain contact, especially if it's a star employee, suggests CNNMoney.