The number of people quitting their jobs is going up.
More than 60% of people who left their jobs in 2018 did so voluntarily, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of so-called “quits” has increased for 9 years straight.
Hire Well Now’s own research shows that employees usually leave for controllable or management-related reasons. A separate study backs that up, revealing that 77% of turnover is preventable by employers.
In Part 2 of our three-part series on turnover, we examine why people leave jobs voluntarily. Here are some of the most common reasons.
- Lack of career development, or opportunities to grow in their current position. People want a job with a future. If they don’t see any prospects of moving up in your company as their skills and experience increase, they will entertain more promising offers from your competitors.
- Poor work-life balance. In case you haven’t noticed, your employees lead hectic lives. They have families, kids and pets to take care of. Many of them are furthering their education at the same time they’re working for you. Flexible schedules and similar conveniences are a must if you want long-term loyal service from your team.
- Manager behavior, including unprofessional or unsupportive managers. Do store managers know how to lead, develop and motivate employees? Do they give constructive feedback when someone makes a mistake? If you aren’t training managers on skills like these, you risk losing your best people to employers who do.
- Lack of purpose, such as a common mission, or something an employee can get behind. Are employees wondering why they even bother to show up every day? Do they feel like it’s for the paycheck and nothing else? People are more enthusiastic about their jobs when they buy into the mission of your company and how the work they do fulfills a greater sense of purpose.
- Poor work environment. Are decisions getting made without telling anyone? Is there lots of grumbling, gossip and distrust? These are all signs of a toxic work environment. And it’s not just unpleasant, it’s also bad for you! It affects employees’ physical and mental health, as well as their relationships outside of work. So it’s no surprise that people will seek to make a change in a situation like this.
- No sense of fun. Sure, hard work is important. But guess what? So is actually enjoying your work. There are lots of ways to create an enjoyable workplace. Good examples include team-building activities, celebrating professional milestones, remembering employee birthdays, and simply encouraging light-hearted banter throughout the day. Give employees a reason to look forward to coming to work!
- Lack of communication. Some people complain about Millennials always wanting feedback. Here’s a newsflash: That’s actually a great thing! How can your employees get better at their jobs without constructive feedback? Let them know you’re on their side by encouraging questions and comments, and offer friendly guidance to help them further their careers.
- Insufficient compensation and benefits. This is usually last on the list. Sure, everyone wants enough to pay the bills and have a little fun on the side. But once those basic needs are met, your employees want more than just a paycheck. They want to work for a manager they like, with co-workers they get along with, and to do work that has a positive impact on the customers they serve.
By the way, 40% of employees who leave do so within the first 12 months, so the sooner you address problems like these, the better. Retention solutions like Hire Well Now’s ePULSE™ give you real-time information so you can tackle issues as they arise.
Contact Hire Well Now today to learn about all of our managed Retention Solutions.
Watch for Part 3 in our series on turnover, which will cover ways you can reduce turnover in your business.
