Why Employees Quit

Why Employees Quit

In a utopian world, your best employees would never leave you. They’d stay with your company until you closed it down.

In reality, that’s not happening. The fact that 18-44 year-old employees change jobs on average 11 times in their careers tells you that you’d be lucky to hang onto someone for even a year. But knowing the reasons why employees leave can help you make changes that — hopefully — will make them stick around a little longer.

Are You Pushing or Pulling?

According to a Catalyst study, employees leave their jobs because of either push or pull factors:

● Push factors include things like having too much work, or not seeing a clear career path at a company.
● Pull factors are those like getting a better-paying offer elsewhere, or needing to quit to take care of a child.

Because employee turnover can cost you 90-200% of an employee’s annual salary, it’s important to know what factors — push or pull — you can control so that you reduce that turnover rate.

How can you find out the reason your employees quit? Ask them. Conduct an exit interview before an employee leaves and ask why they’re leaving. Also ask what you could have done to make him stay. Make it clear you’re looking for honesty; if your employee tells you what he thinks you want to hear, you won’t be able to make changes for the better.

Creating a Better Work Environment

If your employees are leaving due to push factors, it’s all on you and your company to remedy the situation. Here are a few possibilities that might be turning your staff off of your company:

● Overbearing or micromanaging boss
● Lack of leadership
● Too much work
● Not paid competitively
● No clear career path
● Lack of recognition or reward
● Hostile work environment

All of these can be changed. All it takes is you taking off your ego hat for a moment (especially if you’re that overbearing boss) and reshaping your company to be more beneficial to your staff. Are employees leaving for better-paying jobs? See what others are paying for similar roles on Salary.com and step up your game. Do your employees not feel recognized? Make extra effort to give a pat on the back for a job well done.

If you’re not comfortable managing your staff, admit it. It’s better to hire a manager who is a better leader if your own style is getting in the way of your employees being happy.

Factors Beyond Your Control

You certainly can’t change the fact that a key employee is having a baby and wants to stay home to take care of him. Or the fact that another has an ailing mother to care for. But you can work around it. For example, you can offer reduced hours or telecommuting as an option if it helps you keep a good employee. And if taking time off is inevitable, offer to keep the job for when she’s ready to return. You should be willing to bend over backwards for an employee worth keeping.

Employees will quit, but by being proactive, you can reduce how frequently they leave your company.