Why Good Employees Quit
Whether you
engage an external recruiting expert or use your own in-house hiring manager,
filling an open position (and the process of on boarding) can be very
expensive. In addition, as companies become more collaborative and roles less autonomous,
bringing on new staff members is not as seamless as it once was. With the
increasing cost and difficulty of hiring, ‘retention’ has become a hot topic
among management. To fully understand how to retain its staff a company must
look closely at why they are leaving.
7 Reasons You Best Employees Are Leaving
1.
Poor management. You know the old saying, “People don’t leave jobs, they
leave managers.” According to a recent study conducted by Paychex, 44.66% of
those survey, left because they did not like their boss. The reasons are
varied. Some complained about micromanagement while others rarely saw their
“drive by” boss who rarely stepped foot in the office. Others were unhappy with
their boss’ hiring and promotion policies. Unfortunately, few
bosses realize they are the reason why their employees are running toward
the exit. Therefore, it is the company’s job to have procedures in place to
manage management and track which departments are consistently losing
staff.
2.
A lack of growth opportunities and promotions. 31.88%
of those questioned in the Paychex study cited a lack of growth and promotions
as their reason for leaving. Being given only small, incremental goals rarely
pushes employees out of their comfort zones or encourages them to learn new
skills and take on new challenges. Ultimately, they feel stagnant and the job becomes
monotonous. In addition, there is often little to no feedback on their work
which does not allow for them to expand their skill set.
3.
A better job. Just so we’re clear: ‘Better job’ does not always mean ‘more
pay.’ Looking back at #2, a better job is often defined as simply a better
opportunity for personal and professional growth and upward mobility.
(Unsurprisingly, 69.44% left for this reason.)
4.
A lack of recognition or reward. In a world
where everyone receives a trophy for showing up, it’s easy to brush-off the
idea of rewards and recognition. However, to your employees, those things
matter. High quality results produced within an expected timeframe is the
nature of the job; but rewarding good work is never a wasted effort.
5.
Other staff members. Ideally, your co-workers are on your team- literally and/or
metaphorically. In the best situations, they are working alongside you to
execute the company’s mission and successfully complete a project. In the
worst situations, they are the reason you wish you worked remotely. Bosses, you
have the power to make or break the office dynamics. Hiring the wrong people
for the wrong reasons or refusing to fire people who are not doing their job or
are toxic, will eventually send your team players running without looking back.
6.
Overworked. Saddling your top employees
with excessive projects and mountains of menial tasks will send them running
out the door. Great bosses challenge their employees. They do not pile on the
work that can and should be completed by others.
7.
No work/life balance. Never allowing your
staff to “clock out” at the end of the day has far reaching consequences.
According to a survey by Right Management, 36% of workers get after-hours
emails from their supervisors. Some 9% say their bosses email them while they
are on vacation and 6% say they get emails on the weekend. Not only do
employees burn-out faster, resentment and frustration build and can poison the
water cooler.
Employees
will rarely let their boss know if they are unhappy. Fear of retaliation or
being labeled a “complainer” prevents them from having candid
conversations. Most will simply start looking for a new place to
work- even while still working for you. If you want to retain your key
employees, it is essential you know what is tempting them to look elsewhere.
Are your
employees happy?
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