Why People Quit!

The total cost of people leaving an organisation can be exorbitant - particularly at the executive level.

Which is one of the reasons why the results of a recent employee retention report conducted by TINYpulse - a US employee engagement firm - are so important.

Writing in Forbes magazine, management expert Victor Lipman, analysed the results of the study - which surveyed 400 full-time US employees.

Lipman said one of the study’s main findings was that micromanagement (the interaction between manager and employee) is a really important factor in employee retention.

In the study, he said, there was a strong connection between employee job satisfaction and their freedom to make decisions about how to do their jobs.

Conversely, those employees who were strictly micromanaged were 28 per cent more likely to be thinking about leaving their job.

This, according to the study, proves that when management is constantly over-involved in uncreative ways it can quickly become a retention issue.

Other management-related factors included burnout and employee development.

For example, the study noted that overworked or ‘burnt out’ employees were 31 per cent more likely to think about looking for a new job than their colleagues who felt comfortable with their workload.

Also, the study found that when employees had good access to professional development they were more than 10 per cent more likely to stay with their current employer.

Interestingly, in the study, organisational culture had a substantial bearing on employee retention - as it had a huge influence on how an employee regarded their work.

Unsurprisingly, those employees who gave their work culture a low mark were nearly 15 per cent more likely to be looking for a new job than their counterparts.

Positive working relationships also figured highly in retaining staff, as did employee appreciation and recognition by their peers.

In fact, the study found those citing low levels of recognition were 11 per cent less likely to want to stay in their job.

Relationships of all kinds had a major impact on retention - whether it was the relationship with your manager, your co-workers, or with the broader company culture. 

It is also interesting to note that when it came to compensation, employees were generally more concerned with their workplace wellbeing and satisfaction than with their salary.

Similarly, leadership and management expert Tom Gimbel, writing in Fortune magazine, cites three main reasons why most people decide to leave their organisations: a) you don’t like your boss; b) you want more money, c) you don’t enjoy the work you’re doing.

However, he does put a very big caveat on these reasons - which is that you should always look for solutions (or other options) within your current company, before seeking another opportunity.

And if you do knuckle down, weather the storm, and stay on at your current workplace, the benefits can be quite substantial, he says.

For example, those workers who stay with an organisation and build long-term growth and success make the most money in the long run.

Also, when you show loyalty and give yourself time to develop and work your way up the ladder, management often recognises this commitment.

Finally, even though you may be unhappy in your present work - management will typically still be open to finding you a position that is a better fit - as long you show a good attitude and strong work ethic.