Top 8 Reasons Why Employees Leave (2023)

88% of HR? decision-makers believe hiring in 2023 will be more or as difficult as in 2022. For HR and recruitment professionals in the Life Science industry, hiring top talent is just the first hurdle. The next biggest challenge facing the industry is employee retention, which is only becoming more essential in today’s unpredictable job market.

To improve your employee retention, you need to understand what employees are actually looking for from their employers in 2023, and what motivates them to look for new opportunities elsewhere. According to?Employ’s 2022 survey ?of more than 1,200 HR decision makers and recruiters, the top 8 motivations for employees leaving a job are:

• More money (37.1%)
• Ability to work remotely (18.6%)
• Career advancement (13.4%)
• A change/new challenge (12.4%)
• Leaving a bad manager or company culture (5.2%)
• A more inclusive/diverse workplace (5.1%)
• Unemployment or fear of becoming unemployed (4.2%)
• Ability to work in an office (4%)

In this article, we explore each of these motivations, providing practical advice on what you can do to keep your employees happy.

More Money

Given the current cost-of-living crisis that has impacted employees across the globe, it’s no surprise that money is the top motivation for finding a new job. However, especially if your organisation is on the smaller side, giving all your employees a pay rise isn’t always so simple. Despite this, there are other ways you can support your employees with the rising costs of living, including rethinking the benefits you’re offering.

Benefits that could help your employees to earn and save more money include:

• Salary sacrifice schemes
• Company Sharesave schemes
• Commuting support including cycle-to-work schemes, secure bike sheds, discounted travel fares, and electric charging points
• Discounts on retail, leisure, entertainment and health and wellbeing products/services
• Opportunity to sell unused holiday
• Free or subsidised snacks, drinks, and meals in the office
• Financial advice workshops/online support

10 more ways of supporting your employees with the cost of living can be found here.

Ability to Work Remotely

Although not possible for every role – especially for those involving laboratory and field-based work – there is a place for?hybrid and remote working within the industry . These flexible working options are already being offered by some of the world’s leading Life Science organisations.

Whilst it might not be possible – or even beneficial – for you to become a fully remote organisation, you should be looking at ways you can support your employees in having a healthier work-life balance and more flexibility over their workload.

As well as offering remote working, consider the following?hybrid work models :

• Flexible hybrid work model:?Employees choose both location and working hours based on priorities
• Fixed hybrid work model:?The organisation sets the days and times employees are allowed to work remotely or go into the office
• Office-first hybrid work model:?Employees are expected to be on-site but have the flexibility to choose some days to work remotely
• Remote-first hybrid work model:?Employees work remotely most of the time, with occasional visits to coworking spaces/the central office for meetings, etc.

Career Advancement

Implementing an?internal mobility strategy ?for your organisation can be a highly effective way of boosting your employee retention and reducing turnover rates, whilst also filling critical skills gaps. There are two types of internal mobility:

• Vertical mobility?is where an employee takes on a new role at a level above their current role, usually with additional responsibility
• Lateral mobility?is where an employee takes on a new role at the same level as their current role, usually with different responsibilities or in a different business area

Both provide space for your employees to develop their careers with you, rather than going elsewhere to progress.

A Change/New Challenge

Career development isn’t just about allowing your employees to take on new roles within your organisation. You should give your employees the time and resources to develop their skills, not only based on their current job responsibilities but also on their personal interests and future career aspirations.

If you start to notice an employee becoming demotivated, look at how their role has progressed over time:

• Have they had the opportunity to work with different people within the organisation, or do they tend to be put in the same team?
• Do they work on different types of projects, or have they been working on the same types of projects since they started?
• Is there enough variety in their workload?
• How many different skills have they learnt since they started in the role?
• Have they been given enough autonomy over their learning and development?
• How have their colleagues’ roles changed over time? Are they being left behind?
• How much of a voice have they been given? Do they have the opportunity to influence the way things are within the team/organisation?

Remember that not all employees are driven by change and the thought of taking on more challenging work, but do try to ensure you’re getting the most out of your employees by offering interesting work, as well as a job that allows them to explore their potential outside of the duties set in their job descriptions.

Leaving a Bad Manager or Company Culture

Remember the saying ‘People leave managers, not companies.’ Whilst you can’t expect every employee to be best friends with their managers, they must be able to have a positive, professional relationship with them. Ensure you’re providing regular management training to ensure managers are equipped with the right skills to be effective leaders, and use employee feedback to understand what support they’re currently lacking.

By building more positive relationships between your employees, you’ll ultimately improve your organisation's company culture, creating an environment where employees are heard and change is made.

Here are 9 more ways to become an employer of choice and further improve your company culture.

A More Inclusive/Diverse Workplace

Employees are increasingly looking to employers to foster a more diverse and inclusive workplace as they recognise the benefits of working in an environment that values differences and promotes fairness and equality. A diverse and inclusive workplace can help employees feel a sense of belonging, increase creativity and innovation, provide more opportunities for career development, and ultimately improve business success. See what leading Life Science organisations are doing to promote inclusion and diversity below:

• Inclusion & Diversity at Bayer
• Inclusion & Diversity at Gilead
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Sanofi
• Global Inclusion & Diversity at Bristol Myers Squibb
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Johnson & Johnson

Unemployment or Fear of Becoming Unemployed

Especially since the start of 2023, news stories of organisations laying off large numbers of employees seem to be cropping up more and more, and this has undoubtedly made employees wary of their own job security.

One of the most important things you can do to prevent employees from leaving due to the fear of becoming unemployed is to communicate clearly and regularly with your staff, keeping people informed of the company’s performance as well as changes in the business landscape. Celebrate the wins and opportunities as well as the challenges, and don’t let rumours lie. When employees are kept in the loop, they’ll feel valued and more likely to trust you, which can alleviate any anxiety they may be feeling.

Another important step to take is to invest in your employees’ professional development. By providing opportunities for training and development, you’ll demonstrate your commitment to your employee’s long-term success, proving that you’re invested in their future. Providing a clear career path and opportunities for advancement can give employees a sense of purpose and direction, which can also alleviate anxiety about job security.

Ability to Work in an Office

Whilst remote working brings with it many benefits, not everyone will thrive in this environment. If you’re a fully remote organisation without a central office, first think about how you’re?keeping your employees connected . Are you doing enough to maintain a positive company culture, where people feel supported and part of a team? Are you giving people the space to communicate on a personal level as well as professionally? Are you looking out for signs of burnout, and helping your employees to set healthy work-life boundaries?

Even if you’re doing everything you can to make remote working successful, some people still need that face-to-face communication to thrive. Consider some of the following:

• Renting a small ‘hub’ where employees can work from
• Organising in-person socials as well as virtual
• Allowing employees to work in a nearby coworking space
• Ensuring employees have a portable work set up, allowing them to work from coffee shops, a colleague’s house, etc.

Regardless of which of these employee concerns you choose to prioritise, remember that employees ultimately want to be heard, so use their feedback to shape your retention strategy and retain top talent for your organisation.?

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