Why Are Heavy Equipment Employees Considering Quitting?

In our previous article, we discussed the Great Resignation and shared the results of an industry-focused survey we conducted. We also outlined how we plan to dig deeper into why this trend is happening and what it means for the Heavy Equipment industry. In this segment, we focus on why Heavy Equipment employees are quitting their jobs and give our perspective on how you can boost retention.

What We Found

We surveyed Heavy Equipment employees and asked about their job status since the start of 2020 to find who was still employed, who was laid off (or let go), and who quit their jobs.

Employees who responded with “I quit my job” or “I am considering quitting my job,” were asked to select the top 3 reasons as to why they made a job change or are considering one. The top reasons cited for job unhappiness were:

59% - Leadership and work culture did not align with their values

53% - Lack of advancement opportunities

38% - Compensation

On the other side, we asked employees who were not seeking to make a job change to select the top factors that kept them in their current roles. The top reasons for job happiness were:

69% - Compensation

63% - Adequate workplace flexibility

What This Means For You

These results highlight how employees are evaluating their priorities when it comes to work and their desire to remain with their current employer. While compensation remains an important factor in measuring job satisfaction, work & leadership culture dynamics appear to have become more indicative of team retention.?

The current job market is causing organizations to reconsider how they are driving employee retention. Based on the Heavy Equipment survey results, we compiled 3 suggestions to increase retention.

Develop growth opportunities

53% of employees who were considering quitting were unhappy with their jobs due to a lack of advancement opportunities. Employees who feel stagnant in their roles will ultimately leave for a more fulfilling career path. To avoid this, have discussions with your employees to understand their career goals and check in on them regularly. Help workers feel prioritized and supported by establishing clear career paths with measurable milestones. And when they do hit those milestones, be sure to recognize and celebrate their achievements.

Provide flexibility (in whatever way possible)

63% of employees who were happy with their jobs cited adequate workplace flexibility as a reason. In the Heavy Equipment industry, we understand that not all jobs are able to be done remotely. However, finding creative ways to provide flexibility can increase happiness and productivity by improving work-life balance. Workplace flexibility can also be used as a differentiation point when recruiting new employees.

Cultivate company culture

Based on our survey results, the number one reason Heavy Equipment employees are unhappy with their jobs is related to workplace culture, with 59% of unhappy employees stating that their organization's leadership and work culture did not align with their values. The topic of “culture” can seem intimidating or abstract and, therefore, it becomes a subject that many organizations neglect. Companies with strong culture know that their most critical assets are their people and that protecting them provides the best opportunity for long-term success.?But “culture” is not just one thing, it is an array of elements, such as mission, vision, values, ethics, work environment, leadership, and so many more which come together to define your organization.?Is your company culture one where employees feel valued, cared about, and enjoy working in?

There are distinctions between a company with a stated culture and one that sets out to live that culture every day. Cultures are not only developed as something we aspire to be, but something we live and breathe.?

Conclusion

By including team members and their ideas when embarking on creating retention plans, you are ensuring they feel heard and valued by your organization. From our own experience, we found the best way to receive honest input, suggestions, and feedback was to conduct an anonymous survey. We developed our survey with the goal of discovering areas in our organization that can be improved upon to increase employee satisfaction. While this was the approach for our organization, it is not one-size-fits-all. The key is to design a survey that determines what you want to learn about your team's specific employment experience with your company. After analyzing the survey results, you can use those insights to create action plans and implement changes or initiatives that will have a profound impact on your employees’ workplace happiness, and therefore, drive retention.

Now we pose these questions to our readers:

• How can more growth opportunities, additional flexibility, and a strong workplace culture drive retention?
• What measures have you taken to drive employee retention in your organization?

We’d love for you to comment and share what has worked well for you and what hasn’t.?

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