The Real Reason Why People Are Quitting Their Jobs, Summed Up in a Few Words

Join over 270,000 people and?subscribe here?for future editions. And don't forget my offer for senior leaders and executives at the bottom of this post.

* * *

In my line of work, I do a lot of?listening?to managers bickering about?losing good employees in this Great Resignation. It's understandable--turnover is costly and disruptive.

Many will point fingers somewhere, but the data I gather from client exit interview reports, feedback instruments, and?employee engagement?surveys has fingers pointing back at them.

My client data is consistent with leading research by Gallup. In one study of over 7,000 employees, one out of every two of them "have left a job to get away from a manager and improve their overall life at some point in their career," according to Gallup's State of the American Manager report.

The real reason people are quitting

We've all heard that old familiar tune: People leave managers, not companies. Gallup CEO Jim Clifton summarized in a succinct statement the bottom line of why your company's employee turnover may be high:

The single biggest decision you make in your job--bigger than all the rest--is who you name manager. When you name the wrong person manager, nothing fixes that bad decision. Not compensation, not benefits--nothing.

Clifton wrote this in the summary accompanying Gallup's 2013 "State of the American Workplace" employee engagement study. Not much has changed since then as we trudge through post-pandemic times. Decision makers at the top of organizations spend billions of dollars every year on everything but hiring the right managers.

Putting executives on alert

If you're an executive concerned about low morale, employee satisfaction or engagement, or--at worst--a revolving door at your company, obviously looking at pay inequities is a good starting point to adapt to rising inflation. Beyond that, start by looking at who your current managers are. You have a choice to make: Develop their leadership skills or filter them out of their leadership roles.

In either scenario, you have something to shoot for as you identify current and future leaders. Here are four traits of people-managers that I can attest (and research will back up) will take your company to the next level.

1. Be authentic

Speaking directly to the manager now, when you're authentic and vulnerable with your employees, they are more than likely to reciprocate and gain your trust.

If you foresee financial hard times looming, tell your employees. Let them know ahead of time that they will not be receiving Christmas bonuses or that promotion with a bump in salary that they expected. But compensate for that by ensuring that if they perform well and the business recovers, they will see those things reenter the picture in the coming months or year. It holds everyone accountable and makes them feel like a team.

This is being radically honest and transparent with what's really going on. The best leaders leverage this approach to influence and develop trust. It's always the best policy.

2. Be supportive

Great leaders support their people by showing an interest in their people's jobs and career aspirations. They look into the future to create learning and development opportunities. They find out what motivates their best people by getting to know each tribe member's desires that will drive them. This is about emotional engagement.

This means being supportive of employees who are going through transitions or difficult circumstances in their personal lives. As the saying goes, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

When leaders show that they care about their employees as human beings and support their employees' future career choices, it helps employees feel more confident in their position and career path, whether it means moving up or moving on.

3. Recognize the strengths of your people

Your employees' strengths never stop growing throughout their career. So, when talented managers build unique development strategies around their innate talents, and make sure their employees are always in roles where they get to use those strengths every day, engagement soars to new heights.

People love to use their unique talents and gifts. The best people-managers will leverage close relationships with employees by finding out what their strengths are, and bringing out the best in their employees.

4. Put your empathy on display

Global training giant Development Dimensions International (DDI) assessed over 15,000 leaders from more than 300 organizations to determine which conversational skills have the greatest impact on overall performance.

The findings, published in DDI's "High-Resolution Leadership" report, are revealing. While skills such as "encouraging involvement of others" and "recognizing accomplishments" are important, empathy rose to the top as the most critical driver of overall performance. Specifically, the ability to?listen and respond with empathy.

On the flip side, the DDI report also revealed a dire need for managers with the skill of empathy. Only four out of 10 frontline managers assessed were proficient in or strong on empathy.

Managers displaying empathy are an organization's secret weapon. They will naturally foster strong personal relationships and promote productive collaboration. They'll think about their team's circumstances, understand their challenges and frustrations, and know that those emotions are every bit as real as their own. This helps develop perspective and opens team members to helping one another.

Bringing it home

With so much disruption stemming from Covid-19 and the rise of automation and robotics replacing human beings in the workplace, the biggest human capital gains businesses will witness in the future will stem from the same smart practices we see today: hiring and training the right managers, who in turn care for, develop, and maximize the strengths of every single employee. This is what research has repeatedly confirmed will transform companies now?and?in the future.

What's your take? Do you agree or disagree? Share your views in the comments and let's learn from one another.

_____________________________

An invitation for senior leaders

I have created the ‘From Boss to Leader’ course to teach emerging?leaders and managers?the skills they need to succeed in a post-pandemic world. Watch this?2-minute video?to see if it may be right for your management team. Then I invite you to?book a 15-minute call with me?so I can personally hear your organizational challenges and offer some free advice.

(Serious inquiries only by executives willing to explore a proven approach to leadership development).

* * *

About Marcel Schwantes

Marcel Schwantes?is a globally-recognized leadership authority, executive coach, international speaker,?podcast host, and?syndicated columnist?with a worldwide following. He teaches emerging leaders the skills to build great work cultures where people and businesses flourish.