Preventing Good People from Quitting Their Jobs

??????????? In this Harvard Business Review article, Ethan Bernstein (Harvard Business School), Michael Horn (Clayton Christensen Institute), and Bob Moesta (The ReWired Group) address the issue of employee attrition. “To stick around and keep giving their best,” they say, “people need meaningful work; managers and colleagues who value, respect, and trust them; and opportunities to grow, excel, and advance in their careers.”

??????????? From extensive research and interviewing in a range of workplaces, Bernstein, Horn, and Moesta have zeroed in on four reasons people quit a job:

-?? To escape a bad situation – toxic culture, awful manager, bad fit, tough commute;

-?? To get more control over their work life – most often flexibility or predictability;

-?? To feel better respected and valued – using all their talents and experience;

-?? To move on to a new milestone – this might mean more responsibility or higher pay.

“Exit interviews are a bit of a joke,” say the authors. “People usually assume it’s too late to address why they are leaving, so they say safe things and move on.” Better for managers to be proactive and intervene early so a valuable person won’t suddenly quit:

??????????? ? Interview people about why they left their previous job. This gives valuable insights about their values, pushes and pulls, and what would motivate them to stick around in their current situation.

??????????? ? Develop “shadow” job descriptions. In addition to the official job description for a role, managers need a clear sense of what the person will actually do in the job they’re being hired for and the specific talents and skills they’ll need to make a valuable contribution. When there’s a match, the person is more likely to be happy, productive, and stay.

??????????? ? Huddle with HR. The Human Resources department should be on board with this philosophy of keeping people happy and productive, and be flexible in crafting job descriptions.

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“Why Employees Quit” by Ethan Bernstein, Michael Horn, and Bob Moesta in Harvard Business Review, November-December 2024 (Vol. 102, #6, pp. 44-54); Bernstein can be reached at [email protected] , summarized in Marshall Memo 1059