Reasons why employees quit are many. Some are personal like following spouse, looking after children, choosing different career or going back to college. But top reasons why employees leave their jobs are within the purview and control of the employers. Any cause or reason causing resignation of an employee is attributable to the culture of the workplace, employee’s perception of his job and opportunities or their lack, which is directly under the control of employer unlike personal reasons.
How to retain employees? Best way to do so is to have constant communication with them to know whether they are happy with what they do. A peek into their thought process will reveal insights about whether they think they are engaged in meaningful work, they have a sense of belonging and they have opportunities for development.
High employee attrition can be warded off by staying in touch with the employees. This is a regular and constant process to know that the systems, processes and needs of the organization are supportive of the employees. Employees expect meaningful work, compensation and benefits in line with what the market pays, and a sense that their work makes a contribution to the company’s overall goals and objectives. Companies need to hold regular conversations with their employees to know if the above needs are being met. Equally important to know, are the reasons that make employees stay. Once these reasons are known, actions can be taken to improve these to make employees’ experience even better.
One of the top reasons why employees leave their job is predictably, the relationship with their boss. If the relationship with the boss is uncomfortable or lacking trust, it results in resignation of employees. The boss is employees’ connect with the organization and it is he who provides direction and mentoring as well as feedback. An uneasy boss-subordinate relationship leads to employee’s loss of confidence, engagement and commitment.
Boring and unchallenging work also leads to high employee attrition. It is the duty of their boss to identify and know if the employees are finding their work boring. Everyone wants to enjoy their work. Bosses need to find solutions to this problem by engaging with employees who find their work boring.
Co-workers make a very important part of an employee’s work experience. Happy employees have good relationships with their co-workers. If problems are noticed between co-workers, it is important for bosses to step in and help resolve issues if employees are unable to do so on their own.
Other factors affecting employee attrition relate to the job content and the culture of the organization. If the employees think that the job they are doing directly contributes to the organization’s business goals, it makes them feel respected. Employees also want the opportunities to use their abilities and special skills in the jobs that they are doing. It makes them have a sense of accomplishment and pride. They also want to grow and develop their skills further. If these opportunities are denied to them, it will be difficult to keep them.
Empowering employees and to give them real autonomy are crucial to retain them. These are not mere words. Organizations must create a work environment that allows employees to do so.
Among the top reasons why employees leave their jobs is also lack of knowledge about the organization’s financial stability. If credible information from the boss is lacking, issues like layoffs, falling sales and adverse media reports can generate a sense of unease among the employees, leading to resignation of employees. Management must make transparent communication about the financial health of the company to build up trust.
Effects of employee turnover can cost a great deal. Organizations lose good employees. The productivity suffers as there is always a time lag between resignations and replacements. They also spend a lot in recruiting new employees to replace the employees that are leaving. It is better therefore to take timely steps to minimize high employee attrition by removing reasons that are within their control which cause employees to leave.
Reference:
Top 10 reasons why employees quit. Susan M Heathfield 25 june 2019
