Why Do Employees Quit Jobs?

Friday, December 31, 2010

Why do employees quit jobs and move to a new employer? For better pay, shorter hours, richer benefits, advancement opportunities, adventure, shorter commutes, better working conditions, bigger offices, more responsibilities, less responsibilities, spouse was transferred, spend more time with the kids, go back to school, … and the list goes on without end. On the other hand, is it that simple?

In the 2005, “The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave” by Leigh Branham the author explored seven reasons why otherwise great employees choose to leave their current employer for greener pastures. To those of us who have “been there done that” it is no surprise that Branham focused on these seven factors. What is amazing in that managers are continuing to make the same mistakes repeatedly?
 

1: The Job or Workplace Was Not as Expected

2: The Mismatch Between Job and Person

3: Too Little Coaching and Feedback

4: Too Few Growth and Advancement Opportunities

5: Feeling Devalued And Unrecognized

6: Stress From Overwork and Work-Life Imbalance

7: Loss of Trust and Confidence in Senior Leaders

When that newly hired employee realizes that the job that was described to them during the interview is not the job they will be performing, it does not take long for the employee to recognize that they have been misled. And what is their reaction, they begin to think about other opportunities they passed up and become easy prey for the next call from a recruiter. At this point, the organization has already lost at least the battle, if not the war for talent. In a former role, we used videos of the work to ensure there was no confusion over the work and its environment. As a result, turnover in the first 90 days was reduced by 50%.

It is common for managers to put the wrong person in the wrong job. Why? The project is behind schedule. There is no one else available to do the job. The manager is desperate. The manager wants to appear they are “doing something, anything”. Much of the time these efforts to slot a warm body into a job results in failure for both the employee and manager. Consider more use of behavioral interviewing techniques and a broader scope of interviewers to ensure that the right person is in the right job.

Feedback and coaching are key to maintaining employee performance and they are absolutely critical to improving performance. An area in which virtually even manager can themselves improve on is the delivery of feedback and coaching and the critical element is the timing of that feedback and coaching. Often the managers respond with too little and too late to be effective. Consider training for managers in the techniques of timing and delivery of feedback and coaching as a means of reinforcing the organization’s desired managerial behavior.

Sorry, but every organization cannot provide an unlimited and boundless universe of growth opportunities for every employee. Even if their workforce is comprised on the top ten percent of the talent pool, organizations in this competitive environment need to focus on the top five percent, leaving the others to move on to their next assignment. The organization must indentify and retain their “stars”, that does not eliminate the need for others, it simply means that with limited resources, the organization must put those resources towards the top performers.

Employees want to feel that their employers value and recognize their efforts but more so they want to feel valued by their immediate manager. First line managers can go a long way in recognizing their employees in small but effective ways. Essential to the manager-employee relationship is knowing what gets that employee excited, sometimes it is a small and simple action such pointing out a task they performed well or publicly “thanking” them for helping out in a tight situation. In a recent role, I had a small stash of $10 gift cards, when someone did something special for me I wrote a thank note and included a gift card.

In today’s fiercely competitive workplace with its reduced staffs and higher expectations who is not stressed out trying to deal with and balance work, family, kids, and continuing education? More important that even is the manager’s role in having the best team available to deal with the unexpected shift in project deadlines and changes in directions. Try to build in some time during the workday when, as a manager, you check in on how an employee in doing. A five minutes conversation, aside from the formal weekly status update, can go a long way in your understanding the pre4ssures facing that employee.

Does it seem that senior leaders are completely disconnected with the real world and what it takes to bring a project to fruit? There was a time when an organization’s leadership could point to a direction and most employees would salute and execute. That attitude went out with wing tips and pinstripe suites. Most employees today are independent enough to move on at the first hint of managers who lack any leadership abilities and cannot be trusted. While you as a manager may not be able to overcome the short falls of your CEO, remember that your direct reports see you as the face of the organization.