There is no guarantee that any employee you hire will remain at your company for a given period of time. Sometimes the reasons employees quit their job have nothing to do with the job or the employer at all; it is based on outside factors such as family, health or relocation. Or maybe your employee has decided their dream career lies down a completely different path than your company has to offer, and in the case you have no control either.
But if they really get in touch with what their employees are thinking and feeling, many employers may realize how many talented and valuable employees they are losing due to easily controllable factors that are making the employee unhappy or dissatisfied. Here are three of the top reasons employees quit their jobs that their employer could have prevented:
1) They are No Longer Growing in Their Career
One of the most common reasons employees quit their jobs has nothing to do with money or their boss’s attitude; it’s that they feel bored and are no longer growing as a professional. This can lead to depression and lack of motivation over time. To prevent this, stay abreast of what your employees’ duties are and how long they have stayed that way. If they have been doing the same thing over and over for months or years, see if you can delegate some of their work and assign them something more challenging that will help them build new skills. Find out what they are passionate about and see if there is some way they can follow this passion while contributing to the company. Show that you care about their professional development as a whole, not just what they can do for your company.
2) They Are Being Micro Managed
A happy employee is an empowered employee who has a high level of independence and trust from the employer. One of the top reasons employees quit their jobs is that they lack this independence, and feel they have their boss breathing down their neck. This kind of micro managing can greatly hinder the productivity of both the employee and the employer. The employee doesn’t have enough freedom to perform their duties in the way that works best for them, and the employer has their own job to focus on, so they shouldn’t be too caught up in their employee’s day to day tasks. Of course, in order for the employee to learn how to work independently, you must train them thoroughly and create a culture of accountability at your company, so that when employees are assigned a project they know to carry it out in a timely fashion, without having you chase them down.
3) They Don’t Trust Their Employer
Since most people spend about a third of their lives working, if you don’t trust the company and people you work for, your life is going to be pretty miserable and full of fear. One of the top reasons employees quit their jobs is lack of trust in their employer and the institution they work for. This can be due to multiple reasons, from seeing the wrong people getting promotions (feeling favoritism is at play), seeing their employer lie to clients and stakeholders, or the employer’s failure to follow through on their word when they make commitments to employees, clients, vendors, etc. To prevent mistrust among your employees, make sure your actions show a high level of ethics, and keep track of what you tell employees you are going to do for them.
Author: Jessica Cody
Jessica Cody, a native of Fairfield County, Connecticut, has a background in online marketing and public relations. Currently, she works at VHMNetwork LLC in the role of Marketing Analyst. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where she studied Journalism and Political Science. She is also an avid runner with a passion for the outdoors.
