Why Good Employees Quit

There are many reasons why good employees quit.  This is why employee retention is often a concern for companies. To enable a company to compete in any market they need to employ talented, trained and experienced people.

There isn’t a way to move forward without keeping organizations fully staffed with dedicated workers. That’s why employers have to consider the employee experience. Unhappy employees are the cause of the vast majority of turnover. It’s way more than just paying them a bunch of money, a good manager has to manage morale too. That’s why many MBA programs offer lessons on “Emotional IQ” or EQ.

The importance of happy employees cannot be stressed enough. We’ve all heard the stories of the disgruntled employee that thinks nothing of stealing from their boss. It’s so common that it’s even its own trope. According to Ohio University’s Online MBA program, unhappy employees accounted for a full 3rd of all company bankruptcies due to theft.

Here’s a list of 5 things reasons why good employees quit:

1. Poor Manager/Employee Relations

Nothing is more important to employee satisfaction than the relationships managers have with the managed. This doesn’t mean they have to be friends, but communication and mutual respect are musts. The employees have to feel like they can go to those in charge and their concerns will be heard. Antagonistic relations undermine the employees’ engagement and commitment. A bad boss is by far the number 1 reason good employees quit.

2. Coworker Relationships

Interaction between coworkers is essential in the vast majority of industries. Teamwork requires communication, and good teamwork requires smooth fluid communication. If team personalities clash, it can cripple the team’s ability to get things done. Management should pay attention to any tension on the team and work to quickly resolve issues, as not only does being slow to act cost the company money, it can cost the company a loss in trained personnel.

3. Poor Management Recognition

The recognition of hard work and going above and beyond the typical call of duty by management can assure employees that their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. Doing this right can even make them feel appreciated for their work. Focusing on talent can result in a significant rise in productivity. If workers feel like no one will even care if they make an extra effort, they’ll get the message that doing anything extra is a waste of time. On top of causing talent to leave, this can kill the kind of creativity that employees use to become more efficient, like in the case of citizen developers creating programs that benefit the entire company.

4. Poor Reward System

Closely related to the entry above, having a good reward system in place that encourages teamwork, as well as individualism,  can work wonders for employee retention. It’s important to note that one size does not fit all here, that different employees value different things. While monetary rewards may work for some, others would appreciate other things such as more flexible schedules, more vacation time, perhaps for some, even stock in the company. These rewards can be just a part of the things companies give their employees to ensure a healthy motivated working environment.

5. Poor Work/Life Balance

One of the issues that have been plaguing the nursing industry has been a poor work/life balance. Inadequate staffing leads to heavier workloads and heavier workloads increase the likelihood of mistakes as well as cutting into the personal lives of the nurses. This has been an issue for years, resulting in a high turnover rate for nurses and has created a crisis as the baby boomers go into retirement over the next 20 years. Every industry can learn from the lesson of the nursing shortage; that employees need a good work/life balance to be effective. Maintaining proper staffing levels, and ensuring that employees’ workloads are manageable will help keep everyone happy.  This will remove the reasons why good employees quit.

When all is said and done, the culture that the organization fosters will have the greatest impact on employee retention. An organization that views its employees like the assets they are rather than a means to an end will work to create an environment that employees are happy to work in.  It’s up to employers to empower their people to be the best they can be.