There are many reasons why employees leave a job, many of which are beyond your control as a manager. Corporate restructuring, department layoffs, and poor business performance can cause employees to leave their jobs. Sometimes, however, employees choose to go for their reasons, and nothing stings a manager more than having A+ employees leave work voluntarily.
Common Reasons Employees Leave Their Jobs
1. No Room for Growth
If you want to grow a team of long-term employees, it is vital to know what your employees’ goals are in the first place. You need to honestly care about their career goals and try to support them and help them reach those goals.
Sitting down with your employees and talking about their career trajectory with your company and even beyond takes time, but it is essential when you want to retain employees.
2. Employee Burnout
Many employees thrive in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, but employee burnout is not far behind if your employees are giving one hundred percent and still feel behind. Common causes of employee burnout include:
- Overworked employees who are not given a raise or promoted.
- Employees are traveling too much, even if airline miles or other travel rewards are included.
- Employees are denied the resources they need to feel successful.
If overwork is an issue, taking advantage of a staffing agency to bridge gaps and lighten the workload for employees can go a long way toward retaining employees and creating a more positive work environment for them.
3. Lack of Company Vision
Employees are attracted to your company, in part, because of its company vision. When the company loses sight of that vision, it can affect morale and cause employees to search for a more favorable work environment.
While there isn’t a lot you can do on your own within the company, creating a favorable, positive micro-cultural for your team can help you weather the storm and retain your high-value employees.
4. Offered an Opportunity They Can’t Refuse
In some cases, employees are offered an opportunity they cannot refuse. It might be a position with increased pay, increased ranking or title, the chance to step forward and shine as an individual within a new company, or even just a more prominent company itself.
In this situation, even an otherwise satisfied employee may choose to leave, and there is not much you can do to prevent it. If possible, you may be able to offer them a promotion or raise that makes staying with a company and boss they already know more appealing.
Conclusion
Employees leave for a wide range of reasons. Retaining your top talent means keeping this in mind and encouraging employee loyalty through your loyalty. Showing your employees that you care and that you’re as interested in their career development goes a long way toward keeping employees happy and on your team.